Daryl and Juliet
by krissyg927
Summary: This is Daryl/OC. I can't give too much away except that they are life long friends who always have each other's backs and are about to go on a crazy journey together. Let me know if you want more.
1. Chapter 1

**Taking this one out for a spin, let me know what you think.**

He couldn't remember a time when Juliet wasn't a part of his life. Of course it existed, they didn't know each other since birth, in fact they met when they were eight, he knew. He remembered the very day, clearly and always with a smile.

But it seemed like she had always been there and he was glad of it.

He took some heat sometimes, from the guys because his best friend was a girl, but he didn't care and neither did she. He and Juliet were tight and they had seen each other through all manner of life up until this point. This night was no different, he was driving now, in the middle of the night to take her to the hospital. She was having a baby and the father had blown out of town on her three months ago.

Daryl offered to hunt the motherfucker down and kick his ass, but she wouldn't allow it, Merle and Daryl had been all set to do it. Juliet didn't want to set eyes on him ever again and Daryl kept his yap shut, because he never liked Gareth anyway. He tolerated him for her sake and now he had snuck away like a dog and left her alone, pregnant in the Georgia heat.

Gareth would be wise not ever come back, because Daryl was going to kill him. He was a smarmy stuck up bastard and he still couldn't understand what she had ever seen in him.

But she had seen something obviously.

Daryl looked over at Juliet on the bench seat next to him and told her to breathe. Juliet threw her head back and took a deep breath.

"Easy for you to say, you aren't about to pass a watermelon, through your cooch." She panted through the contraction like they taught her and Daryl in Lamaze. He took over as her coach when Gareth lit out on her, and he was fully prepared to help her in any way he could. It was what they did.

Daryl cringed and looked back at the road ahead of them, they would be at the hospital in ten minutes. "Thank god for that."

He remembered when they were seventeen and he made a drive like this when Juliet was in a car accident out by the Greene farm. He drove like a bat out of hell that night too, so afraid he would lose her. She was his constant and he was hers, they were each-others person.

He hadn't lost her on that night and he wasn't ever going to lose her if he had anything to say about it.

They had seen each other through the death of both of his parents, Merle eloping to Vegas with Andrea Harrison and Juliet's parents retiring to Florida and leaving her the house to take care of along with her younger sister. Daryl took care of the house now for the last three months, but in reality they had been taking care of each other for the last fifteen years.

"Oh dammmitttt, Daryl step on it, I need some drugs." Juliet screamed through her next contraction. The sweat was pouring down her face and he was a little scared looking at her but he just had to find a way to make her laugh, so he knew she was ok.

"Thought you were going all natural." He teased.

"Fuck you Daryl." She hissed. "Stomp down on the pedal on the right, before I rip your dick off."

"Hey, leave my dick out of this, wasn't my dick that got us into this." He laughed and then she was gripping his arm even harder than she did when they watched horror movies together.

"For the love of God. Drive!" She screamed.

/

They got to the hospital and the nurses took over, getting her into a wheel chair and taking her vital signs. They started to wheel her away and he let go of her hand, one of the nurses came up behind him and ushered him along.

"Come on Daddy, follow me."

"Oh, I'm not…" His voice trailed off as he followed the nurse down the long hallway. They didn't care, in this day and age there were a lot of women that showed up at the hospital to give birth alone, because their man ran out on them or with family. He was her family, and always had been.

He stopped to text Merle and Andrea to let them know it was go time and then he walked down the hall towards the double doors they took her through.


	2. Chapter 2

**_A/N: A little look at Daryl and Juliet growing up together._**

2001- age 8

He sat with Glenn Rhee every day for lunch and sometimes Rick Grimes sat with them, but they all agreed, no girls. Girls had cooties and nobody wanted that. They were able to keep their table together for the first month of school, but then Maggie Greene and her friend Juliet Holder parked themselves at the table and declared that the boys couldn't hog the table by the window any longer.

Soon Lori Walker joined in and there was no getting them to leave after that. Daryl had a feeling that this year was going to be a doozy.

Juliet parked herself right next to him and stole one of his potato chips, and before he could object she handed him a vanilla Oreo from the baggie in her lunch. Juliet didn't like the chocolate ones, although he would learn that she did love chocolate, but on her terms and not in cookies.

Daryl accepted the cookie and pushed his bag of chips toward her without looking at her, because she was a girl after all.

He didn't really like girls.

Juliet didn't seem to notice, she just ate the chips happily and talked the entire time about "Sailor Moon" and some TV show about Zombies that her older cousin watched.

Daryl would learn through the years, about her likes and dislikes and she would learn his. In the years to come he would teach her how to shoot a gun, how to fish and how to drive. She would help him pass US History and English Lit, his two worst classes ever. He would punch out the first boy to break her heart it their senior year of high school.

And protect her like a brother.

Juliet would help him stay calm, when things went crazy in his life, she would become his anchor and touchstone and his favorite person in the world. No one would ever mess with her either, not as long as he was around.

He would never leave he side, no matter what happened and who moved in and out of their lives. But on that day they were just two kids sharing their snacks and wondering if they were going to like the second grade at all.

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2003- age 10

Daryl hadn't been in school for three days and they didn't have a phone so she couldn't call him. On the third day, Juliet walked to his house after school and banged on the door. She had walked almost ¾ of a mile from his house to hers and she was not leaving until she saw him.

She heard a gruff voice through the door saying "Go away" but it wasn't Daryl, it was a teenager. Daryl mentioned a brother before a few times, that must be Merle she supposed.

She kept banging because now she was worried. Where could he be? Daryl never missed school. He always said it was better than staying home and she didn't really get that but he wasn't the type to elaborate much.

Finally, the door was opened by a surly looking teenage boy, who looked a lot how she imagined Daryl would look one day. He had the same blue eyes and raggedy blonde hair. He was an older version of him and they were definitely related.

"What do ya want?" The boy growled.

"You Merle?" She asked, holding her hand up to her eyes to keep off the glare from the sun over the house.

"Who wants ta know?" The boy answered as he looked down at her.

Juliet squared her shoulders up and faced the boy. "I'm looking for Daryl."

"He aint here."

She put her hands on her hips, not taking his explanation at all. "Where is he? He missed school three days."

"Who are you, the truant officer." Merle replied.

'I'm Juliet." She said. "He's my friend."

"That so?" Merle replied, raising an eyebrow. Juliet was struck because, Daryl did the same thing when he was teasing her, which he did often. "Like in Romeo and Juliet?"

"Pfftttt, you think you're the first person to make that joke? Where is he?"

Merle looked at her, his eyes assessing her. She was a damn little spitfire. She did walk all the way over from god knows where and had banged on a stranger's door. That wasn't so smart for a little girl really, Merle supposed she really was his friend and he was glad of it.

Daryl needed a friend.

She had a set on her for a little kid to do that and get into his face this way. A little spit fire was what she was.

"He's in the hospital, got some broken ribs."

"What?" She bellowed. "How did he do that?"

Juliet was scared, Daryl was her friend and she knew he was seriously hurt, her mother was a nurse in the ER. Maybe she could ask her if she had seen Daryl.

"I'll tell him you were here; he should be back in school Monday. Go on home now Juliet."

And he slammed the door in her face.

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Later that day Merle went to see Daryl with a chocolate milkshake, like he had done every day since he was hospitalized. He sat on the edge of the bed and looked at Daryl's face, healing from the beating he took. He still had a shiner and a cut on his cheek.

They had told the nurses he fell out of a tree, but Merle figured they didn't believe them. Still they had no proof otherwise. For now, anyway.

"You had a visitor today." He said as Daryl sipped his shake.

Daryl had taken a bad beating from their Dad over the weekend when he was drunk and Merle had taken him to the hospital when he got home and found him. He also beat the crap out of the old man for the first time when he got back home. The fight ended up outside when Travis pushed Merle out the front door and the neighbors called the cops. Travis was in jail at the moment. For now, they were both safe from his rage, for a while anyway. Until the next time.

"Little girl, Juliet." And Daryl looked up at the mention of her name.

He sipped his shake waiting for Merle to tease him for being friends with a girl, but he didn't.

"She's got balls too, marched right up to the door and banged on it till I answered, even after I told her to go away." Merle laughed. "You tell her she can't do that, you know why."

"She didn't know."

"Just tell her, cause if her was home and she woke him up…" Merle trailed off and Daryl nodded.

They were silent again. Travis was a bastard and he wouldn't like someone coming over that he didn't know. It could get ugly.

Then Merle spoke again. "Did you ever kiss this Juliet."

"Ew." Daryl said with total disgust. "No, it aint like that."

Merle looked at him and smiled, the kid had no idea.

"Someday, brother, kissing her is all you're going to think about."

"Ew." Daryl replied as he drank his shake.

When he went back to school the following Monday and Juliet ran to him on the playground, so happy to see him back. She knew to be careful and not trample him, her mother had said that his injuries would take a long time to heal up. But she had missed him and made no secret about it.

He pulled her over to a bench, so that it was just the two of them and sat down then he told her what he never told people and she started to cry. It was then that he knew for sure that she was the very best friend he would ever have.

But he was never going to kiss her, or any Merle was as crazy as a shit house rat about that.

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2006 age 13

"Why don't you just ask Jules?" Merle said to Daryl as they sat on the porch of their broken down house watching Juliet walk up the long driveway to their house. Merle was the only person she allowed to call her anything but Juliet, not even Daryl. He started calling her Jules when she started coming over to help Daryl study. "You two's together all the time anyway."

At thirteen years old Daryl was faced with the crisis of the first school dance and if he should ask a girl to go or not. Rick had asked Lori Walker and Glenn was going with Maggie, but they liked them that way. There was no one he liked that way. Not really.

"It aint that way with us." Daryl replied and Merle gave him the eye." Gimmie a smoke before she gets here and starts yelling at us."

Merle laughed and lit them each a cigarette, because sure as shit, Juliet would lecture them if she saw them smoking. She did every time.

"She's a girl aint she?" Merle said. "You telling me you aint ever tried with her."

"Fuck no, I don't wanna piss her off."

"Oh, but you do think about it." Merle said with a grin.

"Merle, I'm a guy, aint that what we do?" Daryl said. "Don't mean nothing, it aint ever gonna happen."

"Oh, shit here comes the old man." Merle pointed to the beat up old truck coming down the road in the distance. "Go on and make ya'self-scarce Daryl you and Jules go fishin or something."

Merle stood up on the porch and waved Juliet to hurry up and he scooted them both out the back yard and towards the woods before their father saw them. It was times like these that he was glad they lived out in the middle of bumfuck, Georgia and had such a long driveway. Daryl and Jules were out halfway to the woods before the old man pulled up and he didn't even see them.

It was better that way.

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2009- age 16

They drove like a bat out of hell down the dirt road, Juliet's brown hair flying in the breeze out the window. Her hair was long now, almost to her waist and it always blew out the car window. Daryl was teaching her how to drive his truck and she was doing good considering it was a stick shift and it was her first time behind the wheel.

Neither of them were supposed to be driving, but they were literally out in the middle of nowhere and no one ever came down the old road, by Maggie's house, so they were safe. Merle would have a fit when he found out but Juliet would charm him into not grounding Daryl. She was able to get Daryl out of even the biggest jams he got into with Merle.

Merle had taken a liking to her, from the moment she banged on their door six years ago and demanded to know where Daryl had been. She cared about Daryl and Merle knew it. Merle didn't quite understand their relationship, it was totally platonic and Merle didn't do that with girls. Girls were for fucking and he knew for a fact that Daryl had never laid a hand on Juliet.

Her parents loved him too, Daryl was a regular at her house and sometimes Merle was too. Juliet had a sister that was eight years younger than her, Bella. They had the same mother but different father's, Juliet's father had dipped out long ago. But Bella's father, was really her father too. He treated he as if she was his own.

The radio was blaring "Goes Down Easy" and it was a sunny beautiful day. They were sixteen and life just didn't get any better. Travis was gone, in jail for a while. He had gotten into a bar fight and injured a man severely. Merle was eighteen by that time and he became Daryl's guardian.

 ** _The sign on the wall says no dancing on the tables, she never lets the rules get in her way, no she don't._**

There just wasn't anything better then signing out of school, walking home and going out joy riding with your best friend.

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2010- age 17

"I'm going to the prom with Shane and you're going with Karen, its perfect." Juliet said as they walked along the dirt road towards his house. It was May now, and the senior prom was in three weeks.

They carried fishing poles and Daryl also had a bucket of bait as they made their way to the pond behind her house. "We can all sit together

"Yeah, it's gonna be a good time, you getting a hotel room after?" He asked and she stopped short in the middle of the road.

Juliet put her hand on her hip and Daryl stopped and looked at her, she jutted one hip out and scowled at him.

"What?" He said

"I don't bang everyone I date; unlike some people I know."

"OH please, spare me the innocent look, I'm the one that took you for plan B when you accidently slept with, what was that guy's name? Philip, from what's that town that starts with a W." Daryl laughed. "How do you sleep with someone by accident anyway? Hmmm."

"Kiss my ass, he was charming and…"

"He charmed your pants right off, did he?" He laughed as she kicked her foot at him, but he jumped out of the way.

"Whatever, I couldn't go to my Mom you know."

"Yeah Marcy would have a cow for sure."

"I'm on the pill now, so you don't got to worry." She grinned at him.

"Well, thank God for small favors."

"You know what Merle always says though Dar, wrap it in latex or she's gonna get your paychecks." She laughed as they walked down the street, soon he was laughing with her too. They had an easy friendship and they teased each other like siblings. But they would defend each other to the death from anyone who would even think about hassling the other. "Hope your wrapping it up."

"I don't bang everyone I date either." He said as they started walking again.

"That's not what I heard." She replied and they kept walking along the road together, shoulder checking each other along the way.

That September she would catch Shane at the drive in movie with some girl no one knew, someone from out of town. Juliet would cry for days, feeling like she would never get over it. Daryl would go to the hardware store where Shane worked for his father and punch him in the nose for hurting her.

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2016- Age 23

"Look who's fucking talking." Daryl said to Juliet as he handed her a bottle of apple juice. "Drink this, it's good for the baby."

They had been having a tiny tiff, which they often did, about nothing. Mostly just trying to get on each other's nerves and tease each other.

She took the bottle from him as they sat on her front porch, she held a bunch of pink balloons in her hand. Daryl had taken her to the doctor's that day for her ultrasound and she had found out the sex of the baby. It was a girl and she wanted to name her Emily.

Gareth couldn't take time off from work to go with her, and as of yet he hadn't been to any of her appointments, but she expected him any minute.

Actually he was late, very late. She looked at her watch and Daryl noticed.

"When is he getting here?" Daryl asked.

"I don't know, he's usually not this late, go on home if you need to. I'm fine." Juliet replied.

"Nah, I aint got nowhere to be yet." He said pushing off the porch and walking a few feet away from her. He lit a cigarette and inhaled it slowly. "He text you back?"

She shook her head. "It's really weird."

Daryl took another drag on the cigarette.

"He's been acting all sketchy…"

 _ **Thoughts?**_


	3. Chapter 3

Ch 3

Daryl stayed with her that night when they finally figured out that Gareth was dipping out. Bella was at a sleepover and he didn't want her to be all alone. The next day he moved into the guest room across the hall from Juliet's room and he just never left. Juliet had taken Gareth's abandonment of her and the baby in stride. Daryl had expected her to cry, scream or do something but she didn't. They had been together for two years but she just stood up from the stairs that night after she and Daryl set the balloons free into the sky, invited Daryl in for ice cream and that was that.

She didn't want a man that didn't want her and she wasn't going to give him one second of her time either. She loved and wanted this baby girl and if he didn't want them, they would make a life without him. Daryl had been right about him, but he never said that to her, ever.

Juliet lived in the house with her sister, Bella who was seventeen and still in high school. Their parents retired to Florida a year ago because her mother had Rheumatoid Arthritis and the damp humidity in Florida was better for her health. They hadn't wanted to go, but they had no choice and Bella didn't want to change schools in her senior year.

The house was essentially hers and Bella's, rent free and her mother sent her a check every month for utilities. Their only expenses were food and the little incidentals that came up day to day. Her parents knew about the baby and were eagerly awaiting their granddaughter's arrival.

She had a job doing hair and nails at the local salon, and she was happy because Juliet knew she should count her blessings. The blessing that took Gareth out of her life and allowed her to see his true colors before Emily came and the many other blessings she knew she had.

One of them had just texted her to ask if she needed anything from the store on his way home. Daryl always had her back, he was the one person she could always count on.

"That Daryl?" Bella said as she opened the refrigerator and poured them each a glass of milk. "He loves you, you know."

She said matter of factly, as if it was common knowledge.

"Of course he does, I love him too."

"No, I mean like that, he loves you like that." Bella said as she sat down at the table with her sister and passed her the glass of milk. She was eight months pregnant now, Daryl had been living with them for two months by that time."I see him looking at you, when he thinks no one sees, and I see you looking at him."

"Bella, you're crazy."

"Juliet are you blind or just stupid? Everyone can see it but you?" She said. "Marylou gave him a rash of shit when he moved in here, you know that right."

"She wasn't right for him anyway." Juliet answered.

"He told me she just said that if he was going to put you and the baby before her that he was a fool." Bella replied.

"What?"

"He broke up with her." Bella answered. "That's what he told me, Marylou was talking smack about you and he told her where to go. So don't tell me I don't see, what I see with my own eyes."

Juliet didn't know he broke up with Marylou, he just said it was over and Juliet assumed that she had ended it with him. She wouldn't be the first girl of his to be jealous and angry over their friendship. Marylou and others before her just could not understand how Daryl was friends with a girl and wasn't sleeping with her.

Things would be ok for a while and then eventually they would start to throw tantrums and get mad at him for dumb things and it would be over.

Juliet and Daryl loved to watch certain TV shows together, Supernatural and the Zombie show that was all the rage, and scary movies. They would make a huge bowl of popcorn and watch their movies under a blanket together.

 _They were friends and saw nothing wrong with it._

Even Gareth hadn't cared, but now she knew it was because he didn't care.

"Bella you can't…" Her words caught in her throat as he came walking through the door with a smile on his face.

He was always so happy to see her.

"Hey." He said, walking in and Bella half expected him to kiss her sister right on the lips, like a husband or a boyfriend would. He always kissed her cheek. Then from behind his back he presented her with a pint of her favorite ice cream. "Chocolate marshmallow for you and baby Emily, you too Bells."

He handed the ice cream to Bella, who put it into the freezer.

"Daryl." Juliet said looking up at him. "I'm going to be as big as a house, you keep bringing me all this ice cream."

"Don't be ridiculous." He said sitting down at the table. "You're beautiful, now and always."

Behind him Bella made a face at her sister, which Juliet ignored.

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Later that night it just so happened that there was a horror movie double feature on that night and they parked their asses right down on the couch together. Bella was next door studying with her friend Melody, but she would be home soon enough and they would scare the shit out of her, like they always did.

Juliet was fidgeting around on the couch, unable to get comfortable because her leg was hurting and he noticed.

"The sciatica hurting."

"Yeah." Juliet replied. "She's sitting right on my hip.

"Come 'ere." He said patting his lap and she put her feet there and he started to rub her feet. She settled herself against the side of the couch with the popcorn on her lap, every once in a while she would feed some to him as they watched the movie.

"Emily." He said towards her stomach. "You got to lighten up on mommy's sciatic nerve or she's gonna be a gimp." He smiled.

"Daryl?" She looked over at him. "Do you think she'll like me?"

"What kind of question is that?" He continued rubbing her feet. "Of course she is, she's gonna love her mamma."

"I'm scared. I'm so fucking scared. I'm scared of childbirth and I'm scared of parenthood…" She said, her panic starting to rise.

"Don't you worry, you aint got to do it alone, I'm here and Bells is here."

"Someday you're going to want something else." She said, not wanting to voice what she was thinking, because she had gotten so used to him being there and helping her, but she knew he would want something else, something more out of his life then babysitting her. "To get on with your life."

He didn't hesitate and he simply said. "I am getting on with my life, right here."

 **Thank you to everyone who has left me love on this story. I love you xoxoxoxox**


	4. Chapter 4

**_This is a little flashback._**

Summertime in Georgia was not for the weak, the sun was hot as fire and made you feel like you were going to melt into a puddle on the ground at any moment. It was something you just never got used to and the dog days of summer were usually spent indoors or in the water.

It was hot, as usual a few days before fourth of July and on that day Daryl and Juliet were sitting on the end of the public dock with their fishing poles in the water. The dock was low enough so they could dip their feet in, they had a cooler full of Juliet's special lemon Iced tea and a pail for any fish they might catch. They had been fishing together for years by this time and although they had multiple conversations all the time, sometimes the best ones happened while fishing.

The sun beat down on their backs and they were both sweating. Eventually they would just jump in the pond, that usually happened when it was hot like this. They would swim in their clothes and let the sun dry them off as they laid on the dock after wards.

Merle made fun of them sometimes, going on fishing dates and coming home with pails of fish.

Merle did not get why Daryl wasn't hitting that, even though he, himself, thought of her as a little sister. She was a girl and girls were for fucking. He would never go near Juliet himself, Daryl would shank him for sure, but he just didn't understand them two, at all. They were together all the time and zip was going on.

Daryl straight up told him that was never going to happen, so be it, but Merle didn't get it.

It was the summer before their senior year and they both had jobs, Juliet at a local dinner and Daryl delivered pizza for the pizza joint across the street from where she worked.

They went fishing every Thursday and Sunday on their days off. They specifically asked for the same days off and at first Daryl was bussing tables at the diner and they had said no to that. So he quit and walked across the street to get the job at the pizza place. They gave him what he wanted.

The conversation of the day was marriage and love, they talked about everything together, even their dates and sex. They knew everything there was to know about the others life. Their parents and siblings had grown used to them being together all of the time long ago.

Juliet's parents were the perfect and most in love people she had ever met. They set an example for her and her sister about what real love was. Neither girl ever doubted how they felt about each other or their children. Her parents were a love story come true.

They had known each other in high school and circumstances brought them back together again years later. Juliet's mother had been married before, to her real father. Now she was married to Tom and he was Bella's father, he treated Juliet like she was his too though. They set an example for her and her sister about what real love was. They were so in love with each other it was almost a joke, a very good joke. Daryl's parents were not.

His mother had died in a fire when he was ten, two years after he had met Juliet and his father was the town drunk. When he was younger the man took his aggression out on him and Merle, but once Merle was old enough to kick the old man's ass, that stopped for good.

The effects were lasting for Daryl though, that was plain to see in his refusal to let anyone close to him except Merle and Juliet.

"I can't wait to fall in love." Juliet said.

"I hope I never fall in love." He replied.

"Oh, Daryl come on…" She said. "Love is the greatest thing in this world."

"Not from where I'm standing."

"You don't love Meghan" Juliet asked, knowing already that he certainly did not, she was just the girl of the moment and there had been plenty. Juliet had seen them come and go since they were twelve and he actually noticed girls. Meghan wasn't even the girl he took to the junior prom last month, that was Karen and she was long gone already.

Juliet was still with Shane but that wasn't going to last much longer, it would end with her catching him with another girl and Daryl's fist in his face.

"Fuck no." He answered. "Not that I would know even if I did, what's love anyway? A big pain in the ass."

"But you slept with her." Juliet said, her voice soft and her eyes looking over and up at him. She never got that about him, or any guy, how did they turn that off like a light switch? Her feelings for Shane were strong and maybe she was in love, but she wasn't sleeping with him.

"She knows what it is Juliet. I don't got to tell her I love her, cause that would be a lie. I don't do love, and they all know it." He said.

"Maybe they want more, like a relationship, or…" She said. "Don't you?"

"Nope." He said. "I'm happy just the way it is."

"Whoring around." She laughed and he kicked water at her with his foot.

She kicked it back at him, and reached for his arms. They wrestled for a minute and soon he let her push him in the water fully clothed. Daryl slipped under the water, came up quick and made her scream. He laughed at her acting all girlie and tossed his pole back onto the dock.

"Put yours down." He came closer to her and grabbed her foot. "Cause your coming in."

And then he grabbed her feet and pulled her off the dock. She let out a scream and fought him, but he knew it was bullshit. She wanted to cool off as much as he did.

"Don't you want someone to be with, to talk to? Share things with?" She said popping her head up from the water.

"I got you for that." He said pushing his wet hair out of his face. "Hell you're the longest relationship of my life." He laughed.

They were facing each other both treading water and she wanted to say something to him about that statement, but she was unsure about what to say really. He was her longest relationship too, for eight years he had lived down the street from her and been her very best friend.

Her heart broke for the life he led sometimes, but it was getting better, they both planned to go to vocational school after they graduated. Daryl was amazing with cars and he and Merle planned to resurrect their father's failing automotive business. Merle was already starting to get things in place, and they had a great future planned.

Juliet could have gone to college, away somewhere, but this was home, leaving her family and him was out of the question.

"Agreed." She said. "But don't you want to get married someday, have kids?"

He shook his head. "So I can pass on this." He pointed to the scars that snaked across his chest and back, remnants of his father's hand.

"You won't do that; you won't hurt your children."

"I know." He said. "Cause I aint having any." He pushed away from her and floated on his back looking up at the sky.

It was a perfect day, even with all her questions and he didn't want anything more than to swim and fish with her as often as possible.


	5. Chapter 5

**_A/N: Just a little bit about Gareth and his relationship with Juliet. I want everyone to know that I am a Gareth fan. He is my number two and he is also part of a crack ship that I entertain sometimes. I am not knocking him, I find his snobby, better than everyone attitude so sexy. He is yummy._**

2015 -22 years' old

Merle followed Daryl through the house as, he stripped off his work clothes, dropped his car keys onto the table and got ready to take a shower. He had been waiting for him to get home after he had gotten the phone call. Daryl had sounded ok on the phone and Merle couldn't understand it. This was going to be a night unlike any other for them. Juliet was talking about this new guy she met and she liked him a lot. Now it had progressed far enough that she wanted Merle and Daryl to meet him.

Daryl had called Merle on his way home from work and told him to get cleaned up because they were meeting her and her new man for drinks in an hour.

"But who is this guy?"

"She met him at school, in chemistry class or something, she said his name is Gareth." Daryl said turning towards the hallway.

"What kind of name is that?"

Daryl shrugged. "Beats me." He stepped into the bathroom and Merle followed him, Daryl glared back at him. Merle was already showered and dressed, Daryl wanted to shower in private, but Merle wasn't taking the hint.

"She said she's in love?" Merle said.

"That's what she said."

Daryl turned back to him. They had covered this all on the phone, Juliet was serious about this guy and wanted her two brothers to give their blessing.

"Can I take a piss in peace?" Daryl turned back towards the toilet not hiding his anger.

'Oh, it's got your panties in a bunch doesn't it?' Merle laughed. "I may be worried about our Juliet, but not like you are…"

"What the fuck does that mean?" He said zipping back up.

"You're thinking this guy is going to take her away from you." Merle rocked back on his heels as Daryl pulled his shirt over his head. "If Juliet falls in love, he'll be her new best friend."

"Don't be ridiculous, she asked me to let her know what I think of him, she aint going anywhere." Daryl countered. "No one has ever come between us before, wont this time either."

"That's cause neither of you ever been in love before, this is going to change everything, you watch." Merle said.

"No it won't." Daryl said shucking off his jeans. But he already had the feeling it might and he was already planning ways to stop it. Juliet had never said the "L" word about a boy before. She would say it to him on occasion and he said it to her sometimes, but they didn't mean that kind of love. Although the idea of not having each other never crossed their minds. He knew though, somewhere inside, especially the night of the accident, when her car flipped over.

She had been driving home from work and her tire blew out, Maggie Greene had seen the accident happen out behind her field and she knew it was Juliet's car. She called 911 and then she called Daryl.

He had sat by her bed the entire night waiting for her to wake up and holding her hand. He had told her he loved her and that he needed her that night and he had cried at the thought of losing her. Merle knew, he had been at the hospital and her parents and sister did too.

The next day she woke up, and life went back too normal.

They had joked, if they weren't married by the time they were old and gray and forty, they would just move in together.

That wasn't going to happen now, because she called Daryl just that morning to say she had fallen in love with a boy at school. She wanted him and Merle to meet them at the local bar so they could meet her man.

That was fine with Daryl but he was not giving her up, she was too important to him.

"Go get dressed Merle, we're gonna be late." Daryl snapped at him and slammed the door in his face.

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The bar was loud and full of people and Daryl hated places like this, but this was where she had said to come so here he was. This wasn't the first place that he got dragged to because of her and he was sure it wouldn't be the last. Boyfriend or no boyfriend, Daryl wasn't planning on going anywhere.

Juliet had dragged him to so many bars and rock concerts in the time they had known each other and he hated it all. But she got him to go and sometimes he even had fun. He didn't like crowds or loud noise, a fallback from his childhood most likely, but she always made him feel safe, wherever he was.

She really did bring out the best side of him, even Merle knew that.

Juliet waved at them as they walked in and whistled just to make sure they heard and saw her. Daryl turned and broke into a wide grin when he saw her, and her man's back was to them at the moment. Daryl had already decided he didn't like this guy though as he turned and pulled Merle away from the girl he was walking towards.

In the car on the way over he had told Merle that he was not letting Juliet settle for some dick off the streets and Merle just kept his yap shut. No one would ever be good enough for her, not in Daryl's eyes.

"You whistle like a man." Gareth said to her. "Can you not do that again."

Daryl was by her side and already giving her a kiss on the cheek as Gareth was scolding her. Juliet smiled at him and ignored Gareth's words. Daryl's eyes were bright and happy, the way they always were when Juliet was around. Until he heard what he thought of as Juliet being disrespected.

"Not do what again?" He asked and Merle rolled his eyes because already he knew how this was going to go down. Daryl would not have someone talk down to her, he had punched other guys for less. This Gareth dude was on thin ice already and it hadn't been even five minutes.

"Whistle like a man, I'm Gareth." He held out his hand to shake and Daryl looked at him.

"Daryl, and I'm the one who taught her that." He made a point of sitting down and not shaking his hand, Merle did though and introduced himself. Daryl sat next to Juliet and Merle and Gareth sat opposite them in the booth.

"Sorry about this place…" She said to Daryl and then turned to Gareth. "He hates noisy places like this."

"How you ever gonna meet anyone if you don't come to bars." Gareth said eyeing Daryl.

Daryl met his eyes and answered slowly and sharply. "I do fine on my own, Garett."

"It's Gareth." Gareth answered and Merle kicked Daryl under the table. Daryl shot Merle a look that could have burned right through him and Merle stared right back at him. He was being a baby and Merle was surprised he didn't just piss on her leg and mark his territory once and for all.

"Right." Daryl said ignoring the other man and put his arm around Juliet, pulling her into a friendly hug. "Missed ya." He said placing a kiss on the side of her head.

"So you've known each other a long time, Juliet told me." Gareth said, ignoring Daryl and turning to Merle.

"Yeah." Merle said. "I first met Jules when she came banging on my front door when you was what? Ten Jules?"

"Jules?" Gareth repeated. "Jules…" His voice trailed off. He had called her Julie in their public speaking class and she had informed him she wouldn't answer unless he called her Juliet and this rough looking guy was calling her Jules?

"Merle is the only person on this earth allowed to call me anything other than Juliet." She answered, knowing Gareth would say something about it, because he always had something to say.

"And that's saying something. "Daryl said. "Since I'm her best friend. But there's no talking to Juliet when her minds made up, aint that right?"

He smiled at her and bumped her shoulder with his and squeezed her tight against him.

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Daryl passed the cigarette to Juliet as they stood out in the parking lot later on that night. Gareth and Merle were inside doing shots and as always Daryl had Juliet outside where it was quiet. They had found themselves on more than one occasion in parking lots when Daryl couldn't stand the crowds any longer. This was normal for them and Merle had Gareth well on the way to a raging hangover the next day anyway. They wouldn't be missed for a while.

"So, do you like him?"

"Do you?" He asked, taking the cigarette from her after she took a long drag on it.

"It's more than that." She said and Daryl wanted to tell her that he had a feeling, this guy rubbed him the wrong way and he couldn't figure out why. "I love him."

He couldn't tell her, and maybe he was wrong anyway. She seemed so happy and she didn't notice that Gareth acted like he was better than everyone else. Juliet didn't see him for the snarky snob that Daryl was sure he was. He just couldn't ruin this for her, and maybe he was wrong although he doubted it.

Daryl could read people, from years of gauging his father's moods and running for cover when he needed to. He was pretty sure he had this guy's number.

"Then that's all that matters." Daryl replied, pasting a smile on his face to let her know he was happy for her.

"You don't like him." She said, narrowing her eyes. "I know you."

She reached for his cigarette and Daryl handed it back to her after he took a drag.

"He know you smoke sometimes?" And she was shaking her head. Daryl did not see this relationship lasting, but he would never say a word to her.

"Nope."

Daryl chuckled. "He's gonna know soon enough, kissing a smoker is like licking a dirty ashtray, so I've been told."

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"Gareth, he is my best friend and he is going to be this baby's godfather." Juliet said rubbing her stomach and leaning back against the kitchen counter of her parent's house. She lived there with her sister Bella and Gareth was a frequent visitor.

"But, darling. When I move in after the baby gets here, you won't have time for him anymore, you'll be busy with your own family."

"He is my family." Juliet answered. "I will always have time for him."

Two months later he would be gone anyway so it wouldn't much matter. Juliet would have never let him prevent her from her friendship with Daryl and she never found out exactly why he had left her either. She cried once and then let it go forever and he had never contacted her or left her a note to explain. He was just gone.

Emily's due date passed without a word from him and the three nights later she came crashing into the world with a loud wail and Daryl was the one there, the first person to hold Emily. Merle took a picture of them with his cellphone, Daryl had climbed into the bed with her and Emily and they looked like a family.

A/N: Thank you for reading, please let me know what you think :)


	6. Chapter 6

Bella loved baby Emily and never wanted to put her down, when Juliet's parents came for a visit their faces lit up at the sight of the baby too. They understood that she had expected the baby's father to be with her, they had talked about marriage even. But now she was a single parent and would need their help and they were all too willing to give it.

A baby was a blessing, that was all there was to it, and if anyone had anything to say about it they would answer to Juliet's father.

Bella was so in love with this baby she even declined dates to stay home and play with Emily. She shoved her sister and Daryl out the door once a week to go to a movie so that she could have the baby to herself, starting with the first week they were home.

Juliet had explained to them that Gareth had left her and Daryl was helping her way before the baby came and they were grateful and relieved. No one was surprised that Daryl had taken over to help Juliet, it wasn't the first time that Daryl had come to Juliet's rescue, likely not the last time either.

On the drive down Marcy, Juliet's mother remarked to Tom, her husband and Bella's father that Daryl should have been that baby's father and he replied that he was, for all intents and purposes.

He was Juliet's father too, if not by blood, by the heart.

Daryl and Juliet's father liked each other a lot on many weekends over the years they could be found out in Tom's garage working on cars together. Tom loved him like a son and he was the man's choice for his daughter, not Gareth. Daryl certainly liked Tom better than his own father and welcomed the easy friend ship they had.

In fact, neither of her parents even batted an eyelash when Daryl moved in with her, and they had refused consent for Gareth to live there.

Daryl sat out on the front porch having a smoke one night when Emily was a few weeks old and Tom walked out and lit his cigar, as he always did after dinner. Marcy wanted him to quit and he was trying, but that after dinner smoke was precious, plus he had business out here on the porch tonight.

"The baby is colicky isn't she."

Daryl nodded. "Better now that Juliet switched her to soy when she aint, ya know breastfeeding." He replied. "She's sleeping four hours at a clip now." He laughed trying to forget that he was discussing Juliet's breasts with her own father. It was too weird for words but he wasn't surprised really. His life was filled with craziness and he wouldn't have it any other way. It was partly because of her and that was fine with him, life without Juliet would have been unbearable.

He was also more acutely aware that she had breasts if he wasn't aware before. The first night they were home she was so exhausted she had forgotten he was sitting across from her. He had gotten up to leave the room and she told him he could stay if he wanted to.

It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

"Thank you Daryl." Tom said pulling him from his thoughts.

Daryl shook his head. "You aint got to thank me for anything."

"Yeah I do." Tom said. "Marcy isn't well and we can't be here for the girls but I sleep at night knowing she has you."

Daryl was dumbfounded, he was just doing what any friend would do. "Sir?"

"I know my girls are safe with you, all three of them." Tom said. "Marcy and I wouldn't be upset if someday you and Juliet got married."

"Oh, it aint like that." Daryl looked over at Tom. "Sir. Juliet and I aren't…"

"Don't you think it's about time you called me Tom Daryl?" He said. "I told you years ago."

"Tom." Daryl said.

"I mean you are living with my daughter now." The older man said laughing to himself.

Daryl shook his head, becoming mortified by the minute as this conversation went on. "Aint like that Sir, I swear."

"Just call me Tom, ok?"

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Daryl woke up to the baby crying that night and he ran into Juliet in the hall way with baby Emily and a bottle. They both went down the stairs trying not to wake her parents or Bella, it was the same every night, and so far, they had a good system going. They whispered to each other in the darkness of the living room down stairs as Emily settled down and drank her bottle.

Daryl sat next to her and grabbed a pillow to hold Emily with because she was still so very small in his big arms. She fit there well though and he was a natural with her. He had never held a baby before and yet he slipped into it as if it was an everyday thing.

"Go back to bed, I got her." Daryl said reaching for the baby. "Aint that why you've been pumping so I can feed her too?"

"You have work in the morning." Juliet answered. "I'm still on leave."

"And you need sleep too." He took Emily and cradled her in his arms like she was meant to be there. "Go on, I got her."

"I don't want to leave…" Juliet said as she lay her head on his shoulder and soon they were both fighting sleep as baby Emily slipped back into a peaceful sleep after her bottle. Finally, they got up and walked back up the stairs careful not to wake the baby.

They placed her in her crib and said goodnight to each other in the hallway as they headed to their respective rooms. In each room across the hall from each other they each flopped across their bed and fell asleep.

Thank you for reading nd please let me know what you think xoxoxox Krissy


	7. Chapter 7

Juliet's parents left after a week and Tom shook Daryl's hand for the first time ever as they all said good bye in the driveway. He held Daryl's hand for a second and looked him in the eye, giving him a nod of approval again, hoping the boy would get his head out of his ass sometime in the near future.

He had known this kid since he was eleven years old and there was no better man for Juliet in his opinion, but they were the ones who had to realize it. Everyone around them already knew it, all you had to do is see them together for five minutes and see how they were with each other.

Even Bella had remarked that Daryl was in love with Juliet and she had said it years ago. She told her parents that it was the strangest yet not unexpected thing, Daryl had broken up with his girlfriend and moved in with them yet he had said on more than one occasion that he didn't want kids.

Bella was not stupid; no man took on this kind of responsibility at such a young age if he wasn't in love. She kissed her parents' good bye and promised to call them twice a week and send pictures of all of them. Juliet did the same, as her mother hugged Daryl, the only son she had ever known goodbye.

Bella needed to talk to him, Juliet always blew her off when she mentioned Daryl to her in that way. As sisters went, they didn't have many secrets and Bella was the first one she told about the pregnancy, but Juliet was firm that she and Daryl were only going to be friends, although she admitted he was really easy on the eyes.

Bella waited and waited until she had him alone a few weeks to almost a month later and she casually started a conversation with him. Juliet was back to work part time evenings and weekends so that Daryl could have the baby while she was at work. So far it was working but they were all rarely together all at once and most nights when everyone came home from work and school, it was baby care and bed.

Not much time to talk, but that was about to change.

"You know." Bella said to him one night while Juliet was soaking in the bathtub and Emily was in her swing next to them in the kitchen. "For a guy who swore he didn't want kids you sure are taking to this parenthood thing like a fish to water."

"She's my best friend Bells. And she'd do it for me."

Bella nodded. "Yeah she would, why do you think that is?" Bella scooted down to play with Emily.

"Huh?" Daryl looked up from his coffee, but he knew where she was going, the same place everyone else always did. "Not you too, you sound like Merle."

"He aint wrong."

"Bella…"

"You said you were never having kids, she knows it, I know it, Merle knows it, yet you were the first person to step up to the plate here. That means something. You should tell her how you feel."

Daryl looked at Bella and knew it was no use. At first he told himself it was because it was just her and she needed him, but then he realized he needed her too. He had never been so happy as he was living with her, he wanted to stay forever and that thought knocked him for a loop when he first thought it.

His childhood had left him wanting to know what a normal life would be like, and now he had it. He wanted more, he had wanted more with her for a long time.

He pushed it right away because Juliet didn't need to deal with his feelings right now, she had more than enough to worry about. Still he knew, knew it all along because somewhere deep inside him the truth was there.

Juliet was the first person he thought about when he woke up in the morning, even when he had a regular girlfriend. She was always more important than any of them. They knew it too, but Juliet held him in the same regard, it was her good night text he always waited for and no one else's.

Gareth had tried to come between them and few before him, but they were solid. Solid since that day on the playground when he told her all his secrets and she hugged him to her.

Sometimes he saw her looking at him with a funny expression on her face and that had been going on for years, but she always said it was just a headache and maybe it was for her. He looked at her too and then he went to other girls to make the feeling go away.

He could stand it, stand anything as long as he had her in his life.

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The water was warm against her skin and Juliet couldn't remember feeling this relaxed in such a long time. She had filled up the bathtub with her favorite lemongrass bubbles and melted into the back of the tub. This was a well-deserved break that she was finally allowing herself.

She had gone the extra mile and lit candles, had music playing and locked the door, Bella sometimes barged in on her to sit and talk but not tonight Juliet wanted to be alone. Daryl would never walk in on her, he always knocked on the bathroom door and her bedroom door, but she wasn't taking and chances. She had weaned the baby a few days ago and her milk was drying up so she could touch her own breasts without worrying about milk so much.

She could take a hot bath and not worry about it either. Juliet had breast fed Emily for two months and they were slowly moving her over to soy after the last of her frozen breastmilk was gone. Her body was becoming her own again and it felt good.

Still she would miss the times in the middle of the night when she fed Emily and Daryl would make her a cup of herb tea to drink while she nursed.

Juliet closed her eyes and ran her hands over her neck and down towards her breast trying to conjure the familiar image she liked. He was an actor in a popular TV show about the Zombie Apocalypse but she couldn't picture his face like she usually did. The entire time she was with Gareth she took care of herself thinking of this man, whenever she needed to.

He was hot as fuck, with his long hair and wide shoulders and she was a little in love with him, maybe a lot.

This actor was usually excellent material for her spank bank, which she needed, even though she had been in a relationship that was so new Gareth should have been taking care of her as much as she wanted.

That wasn't often and that should have been her first clue that he wasn't a keeper. He rarely worried about if she got off or not, and that was usually up to her, if she wanted it.

As she closed her eyes she couldn't picture the actor and as her hand traveled to her half underwater nipple she suddenly had an image of Daryl in her mind. She stopped and she sat straight up in the bath tub almost spilling water all over the place.

Where the fuck had that come from? They were loving together now and she saw him shirtless more often, in sleep pants too. Sometimes she would see him stumble out of his room in the middle of the night in his boxers going to the bathroom.

His shoulders were nice too and so was the rest of him.

It had to be the new familiarity between them that did this.

Her breath was coming out in gasps as she settled herself down and laid back in the water.

Juliet was about to start fantasizing about her best friend, weather it was because she really needed this or she just really needed him, she wasn't sure.

It was something she would have to figure out very soon though.


	8. Chapter 8

Juliet switched hips and put Emily on her left side as she poured coffee for Daryl and Merle in the kitchen, Emily was in a sling around her neck, as Juliet went about making breakfast. At six months old, she was getting to be too big for the sling and they were looking into other options on line. Both Juliet and Daryl liked keeping the baby close to them. They had read a book before Emily arrived that said it was a great way to bond with a child.

Daryl was bonding with her just as Juliet was, he planned to be in her life for good, in what way that would be still had him confused most of the time. He had been living with Juliet for ten months now, with no plans to go anywhere.

Still, it was undefined at the moment and both of them were afraid to say what was really on their minds the past few months.

It was a Sunday morning and they were all off, they made it a point to have breakfast with Merle and Andrea on the days they were all off or sometimes dinner. Juliet's parents placed a lot of emphasis on family meals and she had come up with the idea.

Usually Juliet would cook or sometimes Merle did if they were grilling at night, it didn't really matter as long as they were all together. Some of their best times were in this kitchen and it made Merle so happy that he, and especially Daryl had a place in it.

Bella would join them for breakfast when she was awake, but as a teenager on summer break, well, that didn't happen very often. She slept all the time and stayed up all night texting her friends and playing video games. Juliet was happy that Bella's life had not been altered, both by their parent's move and baby Emily's arrival.

They had formed an extended family long ago and it just got closer at the arrival of the baby. Merle adored Emily and spoiled her rotten already. He brought her a new toy every Sunday when they got together and was already making promises to her about bikes and cars and Disney World.

Daryl came in the kitchen, pulling on a t-shirt and took Emily from her and plopped her into her high chair, then sat down at the table with Merle. He put the bib around the baby's neck that said "If you think I'm cute you should see my Uncle." Merle had gotten it for her when she was born, but she had been so tiny then and it was just now fitting her.

Merle observed the domesticity of it, it was like they were a married couple and Daryl treated Emily as if she was his baby too.

Sometimes people just didn't see what was right in front of their faces.

Juliet brought them their coffee, black for Daryl and with French Vanilla creamer for her and Merle and sat the cups on the table. Daryl leaned over and started feeding Emily her pears, from the baby bowl that was on the table next to him. He talked and cooed to the baby that he had come to love as if she was his as Juliet went back to making pancakes at the stove

Emily was sitting up and babbling at Merle with a face full of pears, who was babbling right back at her. The grin on Merle's face when he was around that baby was a mile wide and went right up to his eyes. He was in love with her. So far it hadn't happened for him and Andrea but they kept trying and that was a hell of a lot of fun as far as he was concerned.

He had the sweetest ways with her for such a rough and tumble type of a guy and he would be a great father too one day. He was just a big softie when it came to kids, just like Daryl was.

"Where's Bella?' Daryl asked.

"She got home late." Juliet said as she brought the pancakes to the table and sat down next to Daryl. "Still sleeping."

"It's twelve in the afternoon." Merle cooed at Emily. "You're Auntie gonna waste her whole day, isn't she Emmy, yes she is." He grinned and the baby clapped her hands and giggled at him. "Don't you worry darlin Uncle Merle is gonna read "Goodnight Moon" to you for your nap today since Auntie Bells is napping already."

"I don't like that guy she's dating…" Daryl said, taking a sip of his coffee and looking at Juliet who was nodding in agreement. "Just putting it out there."

"I think you should clean your crossbow in front of him like you did to that guy James who used to come bother me at the salon."

"Oh Jules." Merle said. "Sounds like you two gonna have your hands full with both these girls here."

"You bite your tongue Merle." Juliet answered.

Juliet was back to work at the hair salon owned by Michonne Jackson and so far, it was working out well. James had been coming in a few times a week and Juliet was nervous because they were all a bunch of women there at night. Daryl caught wind of it from Lori, his friend Rick's girl who worked there as well and he and Rick handled it in the parking lot one night and James was in the wind ever since.

Merle watched as they talked and Daryl fed the baby, he was struck by how natural they all were together. The functioned as a team and he had never seen his brother so happy. Daryl had a family, no matter how unconventional it might be and Merle knew he was in this for the long haul with her, even if he didn't quite realize what he felt for her.

Every once in a while, Merle liked to stir the pot a bit and Bella wasn't around so it seemed like a good time to bring it up.

"You two fucking yet?" Merle said and Juliet almost chocked on her coffee, and Daryl covered up Emily's ears.

"Watch your mouth, yeah?" He barked at Merle. "I don't want her getting a Dixon mouth or having her fist word be the f bomb."

"So, that's a no." Merle said laughing and he watched as the redness creeped over his brother's face and Juliet's. "Just checking."

"As if we would even announce that." Juliet said. "You know, its perfect breakfast conversation."

Merle just laughed, his brother and Juliet had essentially given their lives to each other the past few months, even more than before. To his knowledge neither of them were dating anyone, but yet they slept across the hall from each other.

It made no sense to him.

Just then the back door opened and Andrea came in with a box of donuts. She had just gotten off a night shift at the hospital and hadn't changed out of her scrubs. Merle's face lit up at the sight of her and he got up to help her with the box.

"There's my girl." He said as he kissed her cheek and pulled a chair out for her. "Lemme get you a coffee."

Andrea sat down and reached a hand out to tickle Emily, then she turned to Juliet. "What 'd I miss?"

Juliet just rolled her eyes at Daryl and laughed.

"What?" Andrea said.

"Oh your husband being his usual subtle self is all." Daryl replied. "No big deal." He winked at Juliet and she smiled back at him, leaving Andrea to look at Merle with a quizzical expression on her face. Then her eyes went back to the baby and she reached out her hand to tickle he under her chin.

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	9. Chapter 9

_**Thank you to everyone who is leaving me love on this story, I love you all. This chapter is another look into their past, to better establish how they feel about each other and how their relationship is. As always I would love to know what you all think xoxoxoxoxox Krissy**_

2012- nineteen years' old

Juliet heard his truck screech into the driveway way before she even looked out the window. Of course she knew he was going to come even though she said not to. Daryl Dixon was a stubborn man, and very predictable.

He could just go right home because she wasn't going to talk to him.

She was mad and made no effort to hide it as she and Bella went to the window to pull the curtain aside. She knew it was Daryl already by the way he drove and he had the music playing so loudly, as always. Looking out the window only confirmed what she already knew.

Bella stood next to her and they watched him get out of the truck and slam the door hard.

The riff of the 'Smashing Pumpkins' song 'Zero' that he was listening floated up to her window " _She's the one for me, oh yeah, she's the one for me, she's my one and only."_

Juliet could tell by the way he was walking that he was hell fire pissed off. Good for him, she was just as mad at his idea that he could tell he what to do. He didn't own her and he didn't get to make choices for her. She didn't even let her own father do that and Daryl was not her father.

They had an argument on the phone just a few minutes before and she knew he was going to come barreling over like a bat out of hell anyway. Even though she had hung up on him and turned her phone off. That was what he did, neither of them wanted to let the other get the last word, not ever.

"What's lit a fire under his ass." Bella said with all of the tact of a thirteen-year old girl, she was always at her older sister's side, and she worshipped the ground Juliet walked on. Bella had known Daryl since she was a little girl and she had never seen him and Juliet fight like this before. Sure, they had arguments, but this was on another level all together.

This was not a tiff over what movie to see, or if 'Star Wars' was better than 'Star Trek', which it wasn't, or the fact that Juliet was running late, as she always did. Daryl started telling her to be ready half an hour before he wanted to leave, and even then she was still ten minutes late usually. That was solved fairly easily, and he grudgingly watched 'Star Trek' with her, even if he didn't like it so much.

This was different though, very different.

Bella called him Juliet's Not Boyfriend since forever, and Juliet gave up a long time ago trying to correct her.

"Juliet, your not boyfriend is here." Bella would say.

So many people had said that, because they were always together, that she gave up correcting them. Bella just didn't get it and she wasn't the first nor would she be the last.

Daryl was her best friend, but he didn't get to decide things for her.

Her parents weren't home and it was a good thing because he was mad and not making a secret of it. He stomped up the porch stairs and banged on the front door and when she didn't answer him, he stood off to the side on the steps hollering for her to open the door.

"He's pissed at me." Juliet said.

"Clearly." Bella said as they heard his voice floating up through the window. When that didn't work he stopped yelling and backed down off of the steps to look up at her room window.

"Juliet." He called up to her calmly, when his yelling didn't work. "Just come on down here, we gotta talk."

She stuck her head out the window and looked down at him.

"Go home Daryl, I don't want to see you." She yelled out the window.

Then she stepped back from the window and they could hear him cursing down below them. Juliet just leaned against the window sill and Bella turned to her.

"What did you guys fight about?" Bella asked.

"He's being pig headed." She yelled the last two words loud enough for him to hear and he yelled up to her in return.

"Bite me Juliet." He yelled loud enough for Merle to hear him a mile down the road and he didn't care, she was the one being pig headed and stubborn, as per usual.

"You wish." She yelled back out the window and then turned to Bella. "I told him about Ireland."

"You're the one who's being stubborn." Daryl yelled up through the window and Juliet rolled her eyes at her sister. Bella giggled, happy to be part of the action.

"Well that was stupid." Bella said. "You knew he'd have a conniption, why didn't you just keep it to yourself."

"It slipped, I was talking about Lori going and it just slipped out." She sat down on her bed. "Bella, he wants to pay for it."

Bella's eyes grew wide at the thought of him giving her sister seven thousand dollars to go to Europe for a month. Of course he would, there wasn't anything he wouldn't do for her sister, even at thirteen she knew that.

Juliet was nominated for a study abroad program through her college and she couldn't afford to go. Their parents didn't have a lot of money and things like vacations and Europe just didn't happen for them. But they didn't need that, they had a loving home and were happy, and that was all that mattered. Juliet wasn't even that upset, she didn't care to go alone anyway.

She was family oriented and someday hoped to travel with Bella when she got older, they had dreams and plans together.

Juliet and Lori wouldn't really get close until after college when they both ended up working in the same salon and Lori started dating Rick Grimes. They ran in different circles still at this point and Juliet didn't want to go that badly if she would be her only company.

But then she mentioned it in passing and Daryl went nuts, saying it was an opportunity of a life time and she had to go. She was adamant that she wasn't going though and that's when they started fighting.

Daryl wanted to pay for her to go, he hadn't even batted and eye, just said he was going to give her the money. He said it like it was no big deal and Juliet knew it was a big deal. It was to her anyway.

Lori was going and Daryl wanted her to go, she deserved it. Juliet never did anything for herself, and she was always thinking of other people.

It was a no brainer for him. He didn't even have to think about it.

So he told her he'd give her the money, his life savings, that he had been saving ever since he got his first job at thirteen. Daryl had quite a big rainy day fund put away, enough to send her there twice if that was what she wanted.

But she said she couldn't take his money and then that was what started the fight. Daryl was used to women trying to get things from him, buy things for them, but she was the only one he wanted to give anything to and she wouldn't take it.

"What?" Bella said.

"He said I have to go, that I shouldn't pass it up."

"He's right." Bella said looking out the window. He was still down there and now he was smoking a cigarette and pacing back and forth.

"I can't take his money, he needs that!" Juliet hissed quietly. "You know how his father is, Daryl's been saving that money to move out. It's his freedom. I can't take that from him."

Bella nodded, everyone knew about all of the times Daryl's old man had put either him or Merle in the hospital with his fists. He was the town drunk and a mean son of a bitch. Merle kept him in line most of the time and he stayed away from Daryl usually, but there was always the chance that Daryl would have to run.

The old man was in poor health and wasn't long for the world was what Daryl had said and he felt safe enough to give her the money and take his chances. That wasn't good enough for her, she had seen the bruises and tended to wounds he had been given through the years.

She would never take his escape money, not for a trip, and not for anything.

One night when they had been drunk on homemade wine from Maggie's father's vineyard, at Maggie's graduation party two years ago, he asked her if she would escape with him. She had said yes, and he had kissed her, it was a memorable kiss for her. But the next day he either didn't remember or pretended he didn't, because he never mentioned it again.

Daryl had remembered what he said and he remembered her answer and it filled him with fear. He was more afraid of love than he was of his father's fist. He remembered the kiss too, and how it made him feel. He never drank Hershel's wine again and went back to the way they had been before, grateful that she wasn't mad or afraid of him.

It was a chance he was unwilling to take.

She would have left with him, in a heartbeat, that was a no brainer for her. Except today, if he asked today she would tell him to step off. Because he had annoyed the hell out of her over this.

They made up eventually that day because he refused to leave until she came down to talk to him and it was so hot out that day. She had been worried and brought him a bottle of water after he sat on her porch for two hours in the hot sun and they called a truce.

It sure as hell wasn't the first time they fought and it wouldn't be the last, they yelled and screamed at each other but they always made up. That was just how they were. Juliet didn't go to Ireland in the end and Daryl told her that one day she would get to go if he had to drag her there himself.

That satisfied him for the moment. But he never forgot that promise and one day he was going to take her, even if she kicked and screamed. He would take Bella too and anyone else that wanted to go.

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"You're really not putting the blocks to her?" Merle asked for the millionth time when Daryl told him the story about Juliet and Ireland later that night. Daryl had flown like his ass was on fire out of there that afternoon and Merle had only heard Daryl's end of the screaming fight over the phone.

Now they were sitting out on the steps of the little house they lived in. It was nothing like the house Juliet lived in just up the street, but she never batted an eye when she came over.

Of course he was fighting with Juliet, they got into it good sometimes, but they protected each other just as fiercely. Merle could not ask for a better friend or woman for his brother. Juliet reminded him of that Shakespeare quote. "Though she be but little, she is fierce."

That was Juliet is a nutshell and Daryl shook his head with indignation that Merle would dare ask a thing like that. Merle supposed that Daryl would if he could, but was too afraid to lose his best friend. He wasn't no altar boy; Merle knew he was getting it somewhere.

"What the fuck not? She's gorgeous." Merle answered. "And you two fight a lot, you ask me it's all pent up and one day its gonna blow."

Merle winked at him.

"She's so feisty." Merle egged him on as he lit a cigarette.

"I know that. I know all of that." Daryl answered. "But if I did that and it didn't work out, which is likely cause let's face it, I have a shit track record with women. If I screwed that up, I couldn't live without her."

"I still say you're playing with a match and some dynamite right now." Merle replied. "But whatever you say little brother."

Then Merle pointed his cigarette at Daryl. "But sometimes you have to risk the burn to get the fireworks, you know what I mean?"


	10. Chapter 10

Maggie knocked on the door and Daryl swung the door open for her and Glenn. Maggie and Juliet were going out shopping for Maggie's wedding dress and Glen and Daryl were meeting Rick in town for a suit fitting. The wedding was in three months, and Glen had asked Herschel's permission to buy Maggie a ring just three weeks ago. He did it the old fashioned way, gaining the father's consent and the wedding was going to be on the family Farm.

It was sweet and traditional and the girls were all excited to be going out that day. Daryl was thinking about weddings and his own belief that marriage and true monogamy wasn't possible when he realized he hadn't been interested in anyone in a long time.

Glenn drove and as they approached the Green farm on their way out of town he was reminded of the night with Juliet when they stood at a crossroad in their friendship and he had chickened out.

Just passed the farm was the tree Juliet crashed into, on the worst night of his life, when at seventeen he realized that life without her would have no meaning for him. He didn't know what it was like to love another person at that age.

He had no frame of reference to know what was friendship and what was romance, not with her. He had to be careful, until he knew what real love was he wasn't taking a chance.

How do you even learn what love is when you don't feel safe with the people who are supposed to love you the most. His parents had damaged him and he didn't miss them at all. Merle and Juliet were all he needed.

Some nights he tossed and turned all night long knowing she was just across the hall. He loved living with her and he hated living with her. It had stirred up things that he wanted to leave alone forever. It made him want things he didn't know if he should have or could have.

Maybe one day he wouldn't be so afraid, but it wasn't this day and it didn't look like it was going to be any day soon. It wasn't that he didn't trust her with his heart, he trusted her above all others, but maybe it was too late, maybe he was permanently friend-zoned.

Maggie held the bottle of her father's wine up and smiled at Daryl. "Dad sent this to you." She said and he was immediately reminded of that night that he and Juliet had gotten trashed and said all those things to each other. He wasn't touching that bottle with a ten-foot pole. God only knew what would come out of his mouth this time.

He smiled and accepted the wine and said "Thank you" to Maggie and let them in the door. Juliet came down the stairs with Emily and handed her to Daryl, leaving a little kiss on the baby's head. She was growing like a weed and her hair was curly strawberry blonde, just like Juliet's. She was adorable, and the apple of everyone's eye.

"You sure this is ok." She said. "We can wait for Bella to get back."

"Aint my first rodeo, we'll be fine." Daryl replied. "Here's some wine for you and Mags later." He handed it to her and for a second his fingers brushed against hers and he knew she was thinking what he had been thinking. Neither one of them were big drinkers and likely the last time they drank together was at Maggie's grad party which was years ago.

They had been drinking Hershel's magic wine that made you tell the truth that night and he knew it was just wine, but he wasn't taking any chances.

She lifted her eyes to his as she took the bottle. "I love this wine, thanks Mags." She looked over at Maggie as she set it down on the table. "Let's have some tonight out on the deck when we get back."

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Daryl and Glenn to Emily with them to their appointment because having a baby while trying to try on wedding and bridesmaid dresses was not going to fly. Rick met them at the store and in about twenty minutes they had picked out three suits for them to wear.

Two hours later Maggie and Juliet were still trying on dresses and the guys just went back home to start dinner.

Men were not as complicated when it came to wedding attire, but of course Maggie was getting the last word on it all. But for now they had accomplished something at least.

Emily sat in a back pack apparatus on Daryl's back the entire time in the store. She waved at everyone and drank her bottle like she always did and once in a while she pulled his hair to make sure he was still there. She was getting too big for the sling now and most of the time he carried her like this now or sometimes took the stroller.

When they got home Bella was back from work and she took Emily and put her down for her nap. Soon Maggie and Juliet came back without dresses, but with many ideas. They all ate out on the back deck and sat and talked long into the night.

The baby monitor was on the table as they started to play cards and Juliet opened the bottle of wine. She grabbed glasses and poured four out, sitting them in front of each of them.

Bella was underage and even though Daryl and Juliet and their guests all drank underage, Bella was not allowed even a sip. She didn't care, wine gave her a headache anyway.

An hour later, Juliet had two glasses and Daryl was hardly sipping his and he had gotten a glass of water to drink instead. Maggie and Glenn were going to spend the night because Glenn's face was red as a beet by this time and Daryl was teasing him mercilessly.

None of them were big drinkers but getting behind the wheel with even one drink was out of the question for them.

Juliet got up to go into the kitchen for snacks and she was gone for a few minutes. Maggie got up to go look for her but Daryl beat her to it. He found her in the kitchen staring at her phone and she was crying. He was at her side in a second and he had his arms around her even faster.

"What's the matter sweetheart?" He whispered to her as she let herself be totally taken into his arms, she fit perfectly, but they knew that already. He had hugged her before and sometimes if she was upset he called her sweetheart, but it wasn't something he was aware of.

"My Mom just sent me a text, about Bella's birthday." She started to say. "Asking if I was making the cake and she's sending her gifts UPS."

Daryl was rubbing her back by now and she was full on bawling now. He was getting worried that there was some kind of bad news coming. Juliet and Bella would not make it if something happened to their parents.

"Yeah, it's going to be here before we know it." He said. "But it's a good thing right? Our baby is growing up." He joked with her. "Is everything alright down in Florida?"

"She said." Juliet looked up at him. "That she's proud of me." Juliet said and dissolved into buckets of tears now.

"That all?" He said and she nodded her head. "Well, shit of course she's proud of you, we all are." He whispered to her. "You're doing a great job here."

"Are you really?" She asked. "Because that means so much to me Daryl, you don't even know."

He held her for a few minutes and continued rubbing his hand over her back until she relaxed.

"You always get a little emotional when you drink, you wanna go back outside, get some air?" He asked, leaning back on the kitchen counter.

She looked up at him with clear eyes and brought her face within inches of his face. He watched her eyes dart down towards his lips, he knew if he moved closer by even just an inch he would get to taste her lips again. She was throwing out signals and he wanted to, god damn he did.

But she had been drinking and he wasn't letting it happen like this. He stepped back and took her by the hand and led her back out onto the deck. They sat down and Daryl grabbed his glass of wine and downed it in one long gulp.

"Trying to get yaself sick." Maggie said as he put the glass back down on the table.

After a while they called it a night and Maggie and Glenn were settled in a guest room down stairs. Juliet and Daryl checked on Emily, who was sleeping. She grabbed ahold of his hand as they watched the baby sleep.

"I couldn't do this without you." She whispered in the darkness. "Thank you."

"You aint got to thank me." He said.

"Yes I do." She turned and kissed his cheek. "I love you, you know?" She said and walked out of the room, leaving him there with his thoughts, and wondering why every time they drank Hershel's truth wine he learned something new about her.

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Juliet woke up with a hangover and a start, the sun was shining in her window and it was way too bright. She flopped back on the pillows and listened to the baby monitor. She could hear Daryl singing to Emily, which was not new. He would sit in the rocking chair in the baby's room and sing or read to her when she woke up early in the morning.

She heard Bella coming up the stairs and knew she was bringing Daryl a bottle for Emily. They were both so sweet to let her sleep in this once.

Juliet pulled the blankets back over her and rolled towards the monitor.

She smiled to herself listening to him sing "My Girl" to Emily and thought about the night before. She knew she had told him and then left the room before he could answer her. Whatever she had thought she felt for Gareth was nothing like what she felt for this man.

 _I got so much honey the bees envy me, I got a sweeter song than the birds in the trees_

She knew about his past and they had history together and sometimes she knew that they belonged together. It felt right, living with him and maybe someday sharing a bed. She knew him well enough to know that he wouldn't risk it with her unless he was completely sure she returned his feelings.

She did feel that way about him, now for sure and maybe all her life.

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 _ **Next chapter you all wont be mad at me anymore :)**_


	11. Chapter 11

Bella's birthday was upon them before they knew it and Juliet was determined to make her first ever birthday away from their parents special. She and Daryl had planned a little party with her friends for the next night and had gone shopping for the perfects gifts for her too.

It was going to be food, cake and horror movies as per Bella's request. Years of watching them with Juliet and Daryl had rubbed off in a big way. The next night they would have a houseful of kids and it was going to be great. Bella was so excited and Juliet was making their mother's special mocha chocolate cake that everyone, including Daryl, always got on their birthday.

Juliet's mother was the first person to give Daryl a birthday cake, when he was ten years old and every year after that. She was the mother he never had. Juliet's mother had cried that day when he told her he had never had a birthday cake before.

They all missed Marcy and Tom, but they were coming for a visit soon. In the meantime, Daryl and Juliet were doing the best they could.

It wouldn't be the same, because their parents weren't there but they hoped to make it fun for them, for her. Bella was such a big help to them, in so many ways and she deserved a special party. Juliet loved her sister, just like Daryl loved Merle. Bella was like his little sister too and he treated her as such, sometimes to her dismay.

It was what it was, Daryl couldn't help that he had the need to protect and care for those close to him. Bella understood and she didn't get mad at him usually. But he did try to intimidate her boyfriends when she brought them around and it wasn't like he was that much older than they were.

But she knew he cared about her and that was why he did it.

It was night time, and the house was quiet except for the soft music that was playing on the stereo in the living room. Emily was down for the night and the baby monitor was on the table across the kitchen from Juliet.

They had just eaten dinner, the two of them alone and they had been talking about one of the cars Daryl was working on at the shop. A 1992 Jag XJ6 that was haunted, a girl named Tara owned it, she worked with Andrea at the hospital. The car was her pride and joy and the Dixon's did their best to keep it running for her.

Merle called the car 'Christine.' Both he and Daryl were convinced that car was haunted.

Daryl didn't bring up what she said to him the weekend before, but it was on his mind. He kept a steady conversation going, but he didn't mention that.

They had said I love you before, but when she said it that night it was something more. It wasn't an utterance at a hospital bed, or a hug for a friend that never had a birthday cake.

He had a feeling she had lobbed the ball over to his side of the net and it was up to him now.

Nothing like a little pressure for a guy like him. For the first time in his life he had a normal home, and he was so happy with her, it settled him and made him think he could have it for good. That he could have her for his own. Maybe.

Juliet was sitting on the counter eating the homemade Mocha frosting for the cake they were making for Bella's birthday. Daryl was telling her about 'Christine's' latest glitch as she dipped her finger into the bowel of icing like she always did, it was the best in the world.

Daryl was washing the dishes, with his back to her and they had just taken the cake out of the oven so it would cool. Bella was turning 18 and baby Emily was eight months old now, they had been living together just under a year.

It was a little after eight pm and Emily usually slept through the night after her last bottle. She had been sleeping through the night since she was five weeks old. That had become such a blessing for both of them because from day one they both got up with the baby every time and now everyone slept through the night.

Emily had taken to Daryl from the first moment and sometimes he was the only one who could calm the baby down. He spent many nights walking the floors with her before she started sleeping through. He was for all intents and purposes, her father.

"Leave some icing for the cake, yeah?" He said with his back to her.

"What do you have eyes in back of your head." Juliet said licking her finger and laughing.

"I just know you is all." He said smiling to himself, he knew her alright. She was the one person he knew best in this world.

Juliet grinned and licked her finger again and she knew that he knew she was doing it. Then she got the most wicked idea and she dipped the spoon back into the icing bowel. It was an extreme misuse of her mother's secret icing recipe but she didn't care.

Her mother wasn't there and it was too good an opportunity to waste. He had been edgy all week and she knew why, it was time to loosen him up a little.

Juliet eyed her target and set the spoon like a sling shot and it hit him right in the back of the head. Daryl turned sideways from the sink and eyed her as he felt the frosting dripping down the back of his head and neck.

"God dammittttt Juliet." He said, but he was laughing. She smiled to herself, mission accomplished.

She laughed more and scooped another dollop of icing out and this time it hit him right in the side of the face. From behind his back he shot the dish rinse sprayer in a wide arc clear across the room and it hit her right in the face. She screamed and threw more icing at him and it was on.

Soon they were both covered in water and icing and standing way too close to each other.

The water dripped down her face and she smiled at him, as she pushed her hair out of her face. She licked the icing off of her lips and looked up at him, his mind was flipped into overdrive.

Juliet was the one girl that he could be himself with and always had been. That was a gift, she accepted him just the way he was. She knew him, knew his moods and knew he needed to lighten up.

He was a lucky man to have her in his life and she looked so beautiful to him in that moment with her hair wet and messy.

Then the spell was broken as she backed up back towards the icing bowl, reaching behind her to find it with a blind hand.

"Don't even think about it." He warned coming closer to her.

"Think of what?" She grinned at him and then their eyes met and it was like they were seeing each other for the first time.

Something different and not unwanted was happening.

It struck him then, he really, really loved her. He loved her like that and he wasn't afraid anymore. And in that moment looking into her eyes, he was sure she felt the same way. She was looking at him the way she sometimes did, when she thought no one was looking.

Daryl was positive that he was right about it this time. So many times before he had second guessed himself. But not this time.

Everything slowed down as he looked at her across the room and she looked at him. Neither of them moved and they stood glued to their spots, unable to take their eyes off of each other. The setting sun shined through the windows and the light cast a glow on the room.

There was a single drop of water traveling down her face and his eyes followed it. The drop slid down her face over her neck and between her breasts and he wanted to follow it with his tongue in the worst way.

Oh shit, he thought to himself. This is it.

He gulped once, because that had been quite a visual, but he didn't stop looking at her. Daryl had always been terrified of losing her friendship, and nothing was worth that risk. Usually there was a willing female to oblige him, even though he wasn't proud of that.

Lately those ideas had been creeping back into his mind about Juliet, like he was fourteen again and he thought it was just because they were living together. Being in such close proximity every day had to be the reason, and he admitted to himself that he looked across the hall at her bedroom door sometimes at night longing for more.

The difference was that he didn't go find someone else to fuck, he didn't want that anymore. He only wanted her.

But he never, ever told her. He just couldn't, and he was ashamed of himself. But now it was all making sense and coming together like pieces in a puzzle. It had taken the better part of a year living together but now he knew for sure.

There was an unstoppable force at work now and it pulled him towards her. Without thinking he crossed the room and closed the distance between them, until he was just a few inches away from her. He stood in front of her not knowing what to do, not knowing what she wanted next.

He could hear the music playing somewhere in the other room and the clock chimed, but he made no further move towards her.

 _Daryl stood there dumbfounded, staring into her eyes and then she nodded her head._

That was all the encouragement he needed and his hands were on her cheeks, cradling her face softly. He looked into her eyes and saw his future there, she was the one. They gazed at each other for a beat, to remember the moment.

Juliet dipped her finger back in the icing and touched it to his bottom lip, running her finger across it. He moaned slightly.

He had to kiss her, he couldn't wait another minute and he did and it was everything that had been missing from any other kiss he had in the past. It was how he remembered it, every wonderful detail.

Her lips were soft and sweet, like the peaches that her father grew in the back yard when they were kids, with a hint of chocolate. She tasted like every good thing in the world to him and he wanted to devour her.

Daryl heard all the guys and even Merle talk about fireworks and about how some girls were full of fire and made your blood burn in your veins. _One-day little brother, kissing her is all you'll be able to think about._

Merle had told him that and he knew Merle was going to get the biggest laugh over this. Because of course Merle had been right all along. But Daryl wasn't thinking about Merle for another minute, he was focused solely on her and the kiss. It felt so good, too good to stop, even if they wanted to.

Then his hands were on her ass, and she let out a soft sigh as he pulled her close to him. His hands traveled down to the back of her thighs. She really wanted him and she made no secret of it.

No longer shy, Daryl picked her up and set her back on the counter to get closer still to her, the feel of her body against his was making him crazy for more.

 _"_ _Your moving in with her and you sleep in the guest room?" Merle had said. "You should just fuck her and get it over with."_

 _He had told Merle to shut the fuck up._

 _One day, kissing her is all you'll be able to think about._

At the age of 24 he was in love for the very first time, in love with her maybe his whole life.

Juliet dug her hands into his hair and pulled him closer, as if she couldn't get enough of him. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him against her and it felt unbelievable to him. He was no stranger to how a woman felt, but they had not been _this woman_.

They stayed like that for a while, kissing and holding each other, their hearts beating out of control, their breathing ragged savoring this new found experience.

Soon she was off the counter and in his arms and she knew she belonged there, she always had. Juliet had never felt such knee shaking passion in all of her life, it was a like a blast of heat on a hot summer day. It consumed her and she was minutes from ripping his clothes off. She hadn't known it would be like this, what would have happened if they did this at the age of sixteen? The answer was clear, as hormonal teenagers they would have fucked it up for sure.

They might have lost each other for good.

Now the timing was perfect.

"It's not like licking a dirty ashtray." She sighed into his shoulder and he smiled, remembering what he had told her about kissing a smoker. Then he pulled her closer and kissed her again.

Before he knew it they were on the couch and she was climbing into his lap. It happened so fast, and both of them were overwhelmed. Pearl Jam was playing on the stereo, but neither of them could hear it over their own heavy breathing and wandering hands.

 _"_ _I know someday you'll have a beautiful life I know you'll be a sun, in somebody else's sky but why, why, why can't it be mineeeeee."_

Their hearts were beating out of their chests and the temperature in the room was climbing, making them want to lose their clothes immediately. They were both on the same page, finally.

His hands were on her hips and his thumbs brushed against her skin where her t-shirt rode up over her hips and her skin burned him. It was like touching a hot stove and he couldn't get close enough to her. Juliet was pulling at his hair and shirt like she had gone crazy all of the sudden and maybe she had, maybe they both had.

She pressed herself into him and he groaned out loud.

Daryl was in awe over how good it felt to touch her like this. He had held her hand before and hugged her, but this, this was on a whole new level. She was warm as if she had a fever and she was so soft, his hands found their way over her ass and he squeezed her gently.

Juliet pulled herself back and looked at him. "We can't do this here, Bella…"

Daryl nodded.

Bella was due back home soon and her room was on the first floor near the guest room Maggie and Glenn had stayed in the other night. If she came in and they were upstairs, she wouldn't come look for them, she would just text them goodnight. That was the usual routine in case the baby was asleep. They waited up for her in their separate rooms and she never stayed out too late.

"You sure you wanna do this?" He asked, hoping to hell she wouldn't change her mind, _please don't change your mind he silently prayed_. He didn't want to stop, he wanted her so badly and he knew she wanted him.

"I'm sure." She breathed out in a whisper. "We'll figure it out later."

Then she took him by the hand and led him towards the stairs.

 _ **Thoughts? Let me know what you think :)**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Sorry for breaking this up from yesterday's update into two parts but it was unnaturally long lol. xoxoxoxox Krissy.**_

"Come here. We got all night." He said pulling her back against him as he sat against the headboard of her bed and wrapping his arms around her. He wasn't afraid anymore. The only thing on his mind was making this good for her. "I got you, lay your head on my shoulder." There was no way he was rushing this. He weren't no kid and he knew how to treat a woman and this woman was too important to him. "It's just us, you and me."

"I want you, I want your hands all over me." She muttered lowly into his ear. "I never felt like this before."

"Me either, but I don't want to rush this." He whispered into her ear and she laid her head back onto his shoulder. Juliet was floating somewhere in a dream; she was sure of it. This felt too good, his touch and the way that he kissed her. He kissed her like he was dying of thirst and she was the only relief for it. Kissing her was like a drug to him, and kissing had never held that much appeal to him before.

 _Someday kissing her is all you'll be able to think about._

 _He wanted to yell "Hell Yes"_ at any one who would listen because he finally got it, finally knew what everyone was talking about. That connection to another person in every way. Then he looked up and realized he could see them in the mirror. He was struck by the image before him of the two of them. Daryl held her tight and stroked her arms that laid in her lap and she relaxed into him as if they were both melting into the bed.

He couldn't remember a time when he felt more at peace and excited at the same time.

Daryl did not want to fuck this up, or fuck them up. They laid there together and he held her and kissed her and he was mesmerized as he watched his hands in the mirror going over her breasts slowly and her back arching in pleasure in front of his eyes.

Never one to watch porn or anything like that it surprised him how turned on this made him. The combination of her and being able to see it from another perspective had his dick throbbing for release.

Juliet's head fell back lower against his shoulder and she let out a sound unlike any he had heard from her and he liked it. The sound of her moans licked at a flame deep inside of him where no one had gone before and he wanted more and more.

"Don't stop…please don't stop." She said breathless now.

"I won't…I promise I won't." He answered just as breathless.

She arched her back against him and he turned to kiss her neck, bringing his lips to her skin as if she was the most forbidden dessert on the menu, and that was more than a little true. In his wildest dreams he never dreamed it would feel this way.

But forbidden dessert it surely was.

She moved against him, trying to get closer and onto his lap, first backwards and then she tried to turn around, but he wasn't having that.

He stilled her with another kiss and he brought his hands down to stop her.

"Wait." He whispered, sliding his hands under her shirt and feeling the tank top she wore in place of a bra, all the while watching in the mirror.

She hadn't bothered to put on a bra that day and he was grateful to whatever higher force made her decide that.

The view was spectacular, her head was on his shoulder and moving side to side, her eyes were closed and her hair was falling all over her face. The perfectly placed mirror was allowing him to see just what he was doing to her.

She was totally lost to him and he had never seen a reaction like this before from any other girl. _She wanted his touch with a desperation that she didn't try to hide and it shot right between his legs making him groan out loud._

Daryl brought his hands over her nipples through the shirt and she hissed and arched into him again, it was the most erotic thing he had ever seen in his life. He continued his devilish handiwork until she was panting and pushing against him, trying to get some friction, while her hand reached for his dick through his pants.

He growled out loud and pushed against her hand, he hadn't been with anyone in over a year and he knew it was the same for her.

This was going to be the best night of his life.

He kissed her hard then whispered in her ear. "Look." Not knowing what her reaction would be, he hoped she wouldn't think he was a pervert or something. He watched in the mirror as her head came off his shoulder and she opened her heavily lidded eyes slowly. She could see them now, his hands on her, his lips on her neck, and he watched her eyes.

"Fuck." She gasped out. "That's the hottest thing I've ever seen." She watched his hands go lower over her stomach and pull at the waistband of her shorts.

"I wanna make you cum sweetheart, and I want us both to watch." He whispered to her. "That ok?"

"Yes." She replied. "Yes."

"I love you so much Juliet." He said softly, both of them not wanting to wake the baby.

"I love you too Daryl, I always have." She replied moving against him and fixing her eyes on his in the mirror.

"It's ok then?" He asked, always careful about consent, always a gentleman.

Juliet nodded and watched as his fingers dipped into her shorts and soon she felt them on her damp panties. She almost flew off the bed at the feel of it, of his fingers touching her like that. She was more aroused than she had ever been in her life.

There was something about watching and feeling it at the same time that was so dirty and exciting to her and he was the only man she would trust this way.

His hands were strong and his fingers skillful as he slid them along the outside of her panties. He teased her mercilessly and she spread her legs more, trying to get what she wanted and he grinned at her in the mirror.

"Good girl." He whispered. "I was just gonna ask you to spread those pretty legs for me."

Then he pushed the silky material to the side and slid a finger against her wetness and they both groaned out loud.

"That's so good, sweetheart." He whispered into her ear as his fingers moved along her skin and he slid one, then two inside her.

"Oh God Daryl." She moaned. "Oh my God." She let her head fall back on his shoulder and her eyes closed.

"Watch." He whispered and she picked her head up and met his eyes again in the mirror. His gaze burned into her and she had never seen him look at her that way before. It was the way The Big Bad Wolf must look at Little Red Riding Hood, wanting to possess and devour her all at the same time. He could eat her alive and she would beg for more.

Now he had one hand between her legs and one on her breast, and they were both moving in different ways and driving her out of her mind. He had total control over her and she yielded to him completely.

Watching just drove her closer and closer at a much faster rate and he knew it. Juliet watched as his lips came down on her neck and sucked hard.

"I need to… oh fuck Daryl…it's been so long…" She moaned as she felt the swirling in her gut starting to move throughout her whole body. He knew just how to touch her and he paid attention to her responses, and she was so responsive to him it made his dick leak. "I have to…"

"Mmmmm…do it." His lips were right at her ear and she could feel his hot breath on her neck. "Do it…do it."

In the mirror they both watched as her legs started to twitch, Juliet couldn't look away from him as her orgasm crashed over her and took over her whole body. She had never _watched before_ and the intensity of it made her crazy with desire for him.

It seemed to go on forever as wave after wave crashed over her and her body shuddered in his arms. She moaned and thrashed quietly and let herself go completely. His lips were against her temple and he whispered sweet words to her as she came down from it with his name on her lips.

After she caught her breath Juliet spun around so that she was facing him and rose up on her knees to kiss him. Then her hands were on his jeans and opening the button.

"God, I wish we thought of this a long time ago." She said as she kissed him again and he lifted his hips so she could get his jeans off, the faster the better.

"You and me both." He replied kicking the jeans and his boxers off and holding her hips softly.

"Oh fuck Daryl." She made her eyes wide as she looked down at his dick. "That's a serious piece there."

And then she was sliding down on him with a gasp and she felt so warm and wet around him that his eyes rolled back into his head. The comment she made about his dick went through him like a bullet and he knew this wasn't going to last as long as he hoped.

"I'm sorry." He said as he held her hips, but she wasn't stopping. "This won't be…"

"I don't care." She said bringing her lips to his and then down his neck. "Give it to me, I want it."

She crashed her hips into his and he was without words as he felt his whole body catch fire under her and he let himself be carried away into the sweet oblivion that only she could give him.

"Come on Daryl." She kissed him hard and pushed herself against him. "Come on."

He knew he would never love another woman the way he loved her and this was the most incredible experience of his life. It was so different from all the back room and casual screwing he had done in the past, making love to someone you actually loved was life changing.

"Oh fuck me sweetheart…fuck me." He groaned into the side of her cheek as they held each other tight.

Even as he let fly a string of expletives and watched in the mirror as she rode his dick until he had emptied every drop of himself inside of her, he knew he was never going to be the same again.

She slid down off of him and they laid there facing each other, not saying a word for a few minutes. Daryl pushed a lock of her hair out of her eyes and moved his own hair out of the way.

"I'm not usually like that…" She started to say and he understood because he felt the same.

"It's different with you." He replied and she nodded in agreement.

"Will you stay with me tonight?" She asked.

"Every night?" It was both a question and a statement and she nodded her head, she wanted him beside her in every part of life.

"It's always been you." Juliet said and he kissed her softly.

"Always was you, always will be sweetheart."

 **Thoughts?**


	13. Chapter 13

Juliet woke up and his arms were around her waist, his warm breath on her neck. He was pulling her up against him and she felt his dick against her ass. She thought he was awake, but he wasn't, he was asleep and dreaming and she knew what he was dreaming about.

They had fallen asleep soon after making love that first time and then he woke her up in the middle of the night for more. It was slower and softer that time and they whispered sweet words together as they learned each-others bodies in the dark of the night.

Daryl told her he couldn't stop touching her now that he could, and he would never be able to keep his hands to himself. He freely admitted that he felt like a kid with a new toy.

She didn't mind at all, and when Emily woke up at five am looking for a bottle they both got up to give it to her and then fell back into her bed wrapped around each other to sleep.

Daryl was moaning softly and bucking his hips into her ass and she moved back against him, wiggling against him. He groaned deeper and his hands snaked up under her t-shirt to her breasts. Even in his sleep, he was gentle and touched her as if she was a precious thing and she was to him.

Juliet reached back and rubbed him through the boxer shorts he wore and his eyes opened. He smiled at the fact that this wasn't a dream and she was beside him.

"Did I tell you I love you?" He asked.

"Did I tell you?" She replied and then he had them rolled over so he was on top of her. "I do, you know."

"I love you like crazy." He said as he lifted her shirt up and stared down at her breasts. Then his lips were on her and then his tongue and she sighed, opening her legs so he could get closer to her.

He teased her with a wicked combination of licking, biting and sucking her nipple until she was thrusting her hips up against his trying to get some relief for the burning between her legs.

Daryl stopped and looked up at her, through the fringe of his bangs, still rolling his tongue over one nipple while his fingers found the other one. He listened to her breathing rate change and then stopped again motioning to her with his eyes downward and she shook her head.

She needed a shower and it was hot in the room because his body temperature was always a few degrees above normal and she absorbed his heat as they slept. She felt dirty and sweaty.

He rose up on his knees and nodded his head and pulled her legs up so that her ankle was against his face. He turned and licked her ankle, keeping his eyes on hers the whole time.

"Please." He looked at her with soft eyes. "I really want to."

She had the feeling that she would never be able to say no to him, especially when he looked at her that way, with his eyes so soulful and loving.

"Ok." She finally answered, unable to deny him as he licked her ankle and toes, blatantly trying to show her what he could do with his tongue. Juliet was not used to a guy who wanted to do it, most she knew did it to get something in return and with heavy prodding. _He had asked to do it._

Once he had her consent he set out to drive her crazy with his mouth and tongue, because he loved this. Most of his friends and Merle too were in the first group of the types of men she knew. Daryl wasn't, he liked to eat pussy and he wasn't bashful to let her know it either.

He played with her foot and toes, sucking on them and swirling his tongue around on them until she was gasping and ready to beg him to go lower. Sometimes you just hit the jackpot in life. Sometimes it was there in front of you all along, and sometimes the wait just made it sweeter.

Daryl slowly made his way down her leg kissing and licking her like a demon and she was all too willing now to let the fire consume her.

By the time he got to her inner thigh, he was mesmerized by her creamy soft skin and she was shaking. He loved making her feel this way and he couldn't wait to get further, but he was taking his time.

He groaned loudly as he buried his face in her panties and licked her through the damp material. Juliet was sure she was about to cum already.

She moaned softly as he pushed his lips and nose against her panties and then his fingers were under the waistband of them.

"This ok?" He asked and she nodded her head vigorously, he had a very unique way of persuading her.

"Yes…" She breathed out, then he had her panties off and tossed across the room in a second. He pushed her legs apart gently and she let her knees fall against the mattress. She momentarily felt embarrassed to be so exposed in front of him, but then she saw his eyes.

"God damn that's nice…" He said, almost in a daze and all her embarrassment slipped away like leaves falling from a tree on an Autumn day.

He licked her with the flat of his tongue, slow and deliberate, and she moaned from somewhere deep in her chest.

He reached up and placed a hand on her belly to hold her in place as she started to move her hips against his face. Juliet made no secret about the fact that she loved what he was doing and that just made him more eager.

She spread her legs more and he slid his tongue and lips along her folds so slowly that she dug her heels into the mattress. She tried not to think about where he might have acquired this particular skill and just let herself enjoy it.

The time to be jealous was long since passed, and she knew he wasn't sitting around waiting on her all these years. It was a day of new beginnings and the past was gone and forgotten, they wanted only each other now.

He brought his fingers up from her thigh where they had been and slid one and then two inside her as his tongue laved attention on her clit.

"Oh god Daryl, I'm right there…oh please…" She closed her eyes and rocked her hips against his mouth steadily and he didn't stop until she was screaming as loud as she could, given the fact that they were trying to be quiet.

When he was done she pulled him up to her and looked into his eyes. She held her hands in his hair and stared deeply at him.

"Fuck me." She said. "I want you to fuck me into this mattress."

Then she pulled him against her until he was inside her and she wrapped her legs around his waist.

"Hang on sweetheart." He said pulling her legs up under his arms and leaning down top kiss her hot and dirty with lots of tongue.

Then they heard it, through the baby monitor, Emily was stirring and would start to cry soon. Daryl looked over at the clock, it was nine am. This was the time Emily got up every morning and neither of them was surprised. They could hear her babbling to herself in her crib, she had just recently started saying simple sounds like Da and Ma.

Daryl was teaching her how to say Daryl every chance he got and Juliet and Bella got the biggest kick out of that. He was determined that she would say his name.

He leaned down and kissed her quickly on the lips and rolled off of her.

"Raincheck?" He said standing up and pulling his jeans on that were laying on the floor. She lay there a moment looking at him as he pulled his jeans up. He was beautiful, now that she allowed herself to look at his body openly. His shoulders and arms had always been her favorite part of him and she knew that he never worked out a day in his life. His body was from honest to goodness hard work.

She swung her legs around the bed and sat up. "I'm sorry…"

"Don't be silly, this is our life." He said and she liked the sound of it, a lot.

"I'll get her if you'll get her bottle."

"Sure." He leaned down and kissed her. "See you downstairs."

Juliet pulled on her sleep shorts and watched him walking out the door shirtless wondering what she had ever seen in any other guy. He was physically her type, lean and tall, firm but not overly muscular. He loved her and he loved Emily and she knew that. Life was going to be better than she ever imagined now.

 **Thoughts?**


	14. Chapter 14

**A few more chapters and this one is done, thank you to every one who is reading and leaving me love, either in reviews, follows or favs, I love you all. Next I'm finishing "Aint no Rest for the Wicked." "Thirty three." "Lips of an Angel." "The Names have Been Changed to Protect the Guilty." and "Sometimes Love is Enough." The last one being held up because I couldn't decide if Daryl and Carol should have a baby or not, since that was the reason they got divorced in that story. Magenta said yes to the baby and I trust her so that's what's going down in that story. The others? Remember I always welcome ideas and prompts, for Wips that I am working on or stand alone things you would like me to do. Let me know what you'd like to see in the other stories xxxxKrissy.**

Daryl walked to the kitchen to get the bottle for Emily as Bella was coming down the hall way, rubbing her tired eyes. It was early for her, but she had a date and this was her day. She wanted to enjoy every moment of it. A girl only turned 18 once in her life, and it fell on a Saturday this year, how lucky could you get.

She did a double take as she looked at Daryl and then Juliet when she came through the door moments later with Emily. They looked the same as always, but she knew.

She took Emily from Juliet, and cooed and babbled at her, still looking at the two people in front of her. Something was very different, there was no mistaking that. She saw them almost every morning together like this, they were always happy and talking to each other, like they were today. But it was crystal clear to her that they had moved their relationship to the next level, finally.

Finally, she could stop worrying about her sister and him too. The past year had been hard for her and Juliet without their parents but Daryl being there with them had made it just a little bit easier. But he needed them too, his life had been hard and Bella knew that sometimes Juliet had been the only good thing for him.

That was why she, like a lot of people didn't understand why they just didn't date each other, or sleep together, if that was what they wanted and get it out of their systems. No one would ever understand their extreme fear of losing each other.

Some things could never be taken back or undone. Juliet had explained that to her long ago, how the last thing either of them wanted was to mess things up by getting physical. If they did that, it would change things for them and they could never go back to the way it was before.

Bella thought it was just a matter of time and she had been right.

She looked at Daryl as he was opening the fridge and decided to just blurt it out. There was no delicate way to put it any way. They had finally done it; it was as obvious as an elephant in the room.

Contrary to popular practice, this family always acknowledged the elephant in the room.

"You two slept together last night didn't you?" She said as if she was asking about the weather.

Daryl lifted his head and banged it on the shelf of the fridge and Juliet turned red as a beat. How could it be so obvious?

"What makes you say that." Juliet said as Daryl came out of the fridge with the bottle and rubbed his head.

"Well, my cake is half iced, there's water on the counter and you both look like you slept for 20 hours straight, and I don't wanna know." She laughed. "Thank god I sleep down here."

She took the bottle from Daryl and gave it to Emily who was just learning to hold her bottle. The baby took it and drank greedily from it with a huge smile on her face.

Juliet looked at Daryl and rolled her eyes, Bella was so much like Tom, she always said exactly what was on her mind. To an extent Juliet did too, his daughter in name, not blood, but exactly like him in so many ways.

"It's about time and Glenn owes me fifty bucks now." Bella grinned. "He took the after Emily turns a year spread and I said no way, the way it's been around here lately with all the pheromones flying around…"

"Really Bella?" Daryl said. "Ya'll was betting?"

She nodded. "Merle and Andrea too, everyone owes me some jing on this one." She handed the baby to Juliet and grinned at her.

"I can't believe this." Juliet said shaking her head, but laughing.

"Believe it. I have to go shower; Charlie wants to take me to breakfast." Bella said and then she disappeared back down the hall way to her room.

"Don't like that Charlie guy." Daryl said standing against the kitchen counter next to Juliet.

"I know." Juliet answered as he reached over to tickle Emily's chin.

Daryl was making faces at Emily and being the way he always was with her and it struck her that he never wanted kids. He had told her that a long time ago and yet he was so good with Emily and had been so good to her when she was pregnant.

They would have to talk about that, he had stepped into the shoes of father so perfectly and treated Emily as if she were his own. Sometimes Juliet thought that he was trying to give Emily what he had never had and he was so good at it.

"She likes him though and you know if we make a fuss, she'll just want to be with him all the more."

Daryl nodded to her, swinging his head to get the hair out of his eyes. "I know, this way we just let it fizzle out on its own."

"Exactly." She smiled, thinking not for the first time that they sounded like an old married couple.

"Hungry?" He asked.

"Famished." Juliet answered and he grinned.

"I figured." Daryl replied breaking into a wider grin as if he was proud to think that he was the reason she had worked up such an appetite. "Want pancakes?"

Juliet nodded. "Yes." And was just about to put Emily in her high chair, when they heard a knock on the door. Merle and Andrea weren't expected that morning. They were coming the next morning on Sunday for breakfast.

Someone was knocking on the front door and it startled them both. Juliet shrugged as if to say. "I don't know who it is" She handed him the baby and he gave Emily her bottle.

Juliet went to the door but Daryl was close by her when she opened the door. She almost stumbled when she saw who it was and Daryl moved even closer to her.

333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333

"Oh isn't this this cozy?" Gareth said as his eyes moved to the baby in Daryl's arms. "I knew you two were…"

"Oh for God's sake Gareth." Juliet said as she opened the door further. "Are you coming in or not?"

"I wanted to see her…" He said walking through the door, as Juliet closed it his eyes found Emily, but remained unchanged. The man was seeing his child for the first time and he had no reaction at all. This made Juliet's heart hurt for her daughter, and made her so grateful that they had Daryl.

"Well, here she is." Daryl said, shifting the baby in his arms, but making it clear he was not letting him hold her unless Juliet said so. The shock of seeing him was prickling along his spine and he could just imagine how she felt.

This just couldn't be good.

"She isn't even mine, is she?" Gareth started to say and Daryl's blood started to boil. How dare he talk shit about Juliet, he knew she was always faithful to the men she dated, Gareth especially. She had loved him. Daryl couldn't let that go, he just couldn't.

"I wish she was mine, and we weren't doing anything, ya asshole." Daryl barked as he put Emily down in the pack and play they kept in the living room. She started drinking her bottle oblivious to the drama going on around her.

"Did you want something Gareth?" Juliet asked. "We have plans for today so say your peace."

"Do you have any coffee?" Gareth asked and Daryl rolled his eyes, had this man ever known her? Juliet couldn't exist without coffee; it was her elixir of life. It was the first thing she went for every morning as soon as Emily was fed.

"That's a dumbass question." Daryl said. "Come on in the kitchen, ok hon?" He looked to Juliet and she nodded. Daryl knew he called her hon to show possession of her in front of Gareth and even as he knew how stupid it was, he didn't want Gareth to think he could take her away from him.

That, of course was up to her.

The three of them went to the kitchen and Daryl made coffee as Juliet and Gareth sat down at the table. Each looking at the other apprehensively and Daryl was suddenly wound up like a top. Why was this smarmy bastard back?

"I shouldn't have left you…" He started and Daryl's shoulders tensed as he was making the coffee. Of course, as soon as they were happy, this bastard would come slinking back like the snake he was wanting her back. Daryl didn't want to lose her, but he would step aside if Gareth wanted to make a family with her. If that was Juliet wanted he would let her go, maybe he could move in with Merle and Andrea…

"That was wrong." Gareth continued. "It was a shit thing to do and I am so sorry."

Daryl felt the life draining out of him and onto the floor, they had been so happy just a few minutes ago and now he felt it all slipping away. In the span of twenty-four hours he had realized he was in love with her and now he knew what a broken heart felt like.

 _I hope I never fall in love._ He remembered telling her that once.

 _Too fucking late dumbass, he thought to himself._

"Yes, it was." Juliet answered. "But you did me a favor, I'm not mad."

Gareth relaxed, he didn't want animosity with her and what he was there to tell her would be much easier now.

"I have to tell you a few things." Gareth started.

"I don't want you back." Juliet said, cutting him off from whatever he was going to say. "I'm in love with Daryl."

Daryl grinned as he prepared the coffee across the small kitchen from them. His shoulders relaxed and he breathed a sigh of relief. That was his girl right there, his girl.

"Yeah." Gareth said. "I knew that."

Daryl came over with coffee and cream for Juliet and set a cup of black coffee in front of Gareth, then he retrieved his own and sat down across from them. The two men set out to prepare their coffee, Daryl took it black and Gareth took it with cream and way too much sugar.

"Go ahead." She said. "What do you need to tell me?"

"This is hard." He said. Admitting this to her was the hardest thing he had ever done. Leaving her hadn't even been this hard and truth be told he never planned to come back. Yet here he was.

"Just say it Gareth, whatever it is." Juliet said.

"I didn't want to be a father." He said and Daryl couldn't suppress a comment, he just couldn't let that go either. He really hated this guy.

"Yeah, we figured that out." He said to Gareth.

"I still don't, the idea terrifies me, but I know I have a responsibility." He continued.

"You don't Gareth, Daryl's the only father she knows." Juliet interrupted. "I don't really want you involved."

Gareth sighed a sigh of obvious relief, then he reached in his jacket pocket and pulled out an envelope. Juliet watched him, trying to figure out what he was up to.

"I'm taking a job in New Orleans, with a chance to go to Laos next year for Shell oil." Gareth was a geologist and worked in the gasoline and fuel industry. He had been working in Atlanta when he and Juliet were together and he had finished grad school while he had been away.

He had his Master's Degree in Petroleum Geology now.

It had always been his dream to work overseas, it was exciting and if you went to less than desirable places it was very lucrative.

Juliet was relieved beyond belief, when she first opened the door to him, she had been sure he was there to make trouble. Maybe to try and take Emily away from her, or at the very least demand regular visits. But he was there to tell her he was leaving the state, and possibly the country. For quite a while it seemed.

"They gave me a generous sign on bonus and I put it in a money market account for Emily. That's her name right?"

Juliet nodded. "Emily Isabelle."

"You're the trustee Juliet, its five hundred thousand dollars, but if you invest it well, it will grow, she'll never have to worry about college or anything." Gareth said. "And I want him to adopt her." He pointed to Daryl.

Juliet could hardly believe her ears, secretly she had been worried about what would happen if he ever came back but she wasn't expecting that. It was a welcome surprise and she was so grateful, she knew that Daryl wanted to punch his face in. But he wouldn't as long as Gareth was behaving himself.

"I don't know what to say." Juliet started.

"I always wanted to live abroad, you know that." Of course she knew that, they argued about where to live on a daily basis, he wanted out of Georgia and she never wanted to leave, and Gareth knew why. "I don't think I'll want to come back." Gareth said quietly. "I'll make sure you have my address, send me the papers and I'll sign."


	15. Chapter 15

That night Bella's party was a celebration of a lot of things. Most important was Bella's birthday, it was a good day for her. She and Charlie had gone out for the day and came home later with prizes that he had won for her at the local fair that was in town.

Daryl still didn't like him.

While Bella was gone, Daryl and Juliet were celebrating each other, Emily, their new life as a couple and the exit of Gareth from their lives. After he left Daryl and Juliet sat out on the back deck having breakfast and talking.

He wanted to adopt Emily as soon as possible and he wanted to marry Juliet, they had been living together almost a year and had known each other almost sixteen years. It was about time.

Daryl had never been so sure of anything in his whole life, this was where he belonged, with her. He would have to think of a clever way to ask her. He never thought this would happen for him, but now that it did, he didn't want to fuck it up.

Soon, Emily went down for her nap they took a shower together. They stood under the warm spray of water and just held each other, both feeling luckier than a person who just won the megabucks lottery.

For all the talk that people talked about being married or in love with your best friend, they really knew what that meant, it was real and tangible in their lives. Once when they were binge watching 'Lost' on Netflix the year before she had met Gareth they had many talks about soulmates and constants. Juliet, who also adored the fact that there was a character on the show with her name, believed.

She believed it all, that each person had a soulmate, a constant who was just for them. Maybe a person could have more than one in a lifetime, or it could be a very good friend instead of a lover, she wasn't sure.

Juliet believed Daryl was her constant, she had believed that since the term was first used during 'Lost', she knew immediately he was her constant, like Desmond and Penny.

She ate all of that up with a spoon, Daryl had been skeptical, as usual. A lifetime of disappointment had make him a hard sell on some things. They spent many nights watching the show and discussing all of the little details. It was 104 episodes and remained their favorite show ever, often they used references to it in conversation. Something she had missed when she was with Gareth.

Gareth didn't like 'Lost' or any of the other shows she liked. He especially didn't like her special connection to Daryl since their childhood, and all their inside talking together about constants, Hurley's Numbers and Charlie Pace.

Gareth had slipped once and called Daryl her consort and it wasn't meant as a compliment. He was low key accusing her of cheating with Daryl, and not for the first time. Juliet ignored him when he got that way and then eventually he was gone.

Daryl agreed that they were each other's constant, long before she even met Gareth, and it was an obvious conclusion. She never spoke of Gareth like that, and Daryl knew damn well she believed all of that stuff. He wondered why she was even with Gareth at times, they were so ill suited to each other. It wasn't a romantic thing between them, but she was his person, that was for sure.

It had changed again now, and all of the things he never believed in before, soulmates, monogamy, were all of the things he wanted most of all with her. He thought about that as they stood under the shower, this was the first day of the rest of their lives, as trite as it sounded, that was his train of thought the rest of the day.

Life was good for all of them. Once Bella came home, her friends started to arrive around five, and most of them were staying the night.

Juliet made more icing and finished the cake, this time actually frosting it, but she still tasted it. Daryl happened to walk by and shake his head at her with a smile. Later they ordered pizza and watched all manner of horror movies in the dark. Daryl and Juliet curled up on an over-sized chair and all the kids were spread out all over the couch and floor.

They held a tub of popcorn between Juliet's legs and Daryl was sitting behind her with her back to him, his arms around her like it was the most natural thing in the world. They sat close to each other before, but this was different.

In the past he had been close to her, especially during movies like these because for all her bravado, Juliet was afraid sometimes and would cling to him in fear. Sometimes he rubbed her feet, especially when she was pregnant and she rubbed his back, but she was laying on him now.

It was all so different, yet familiar in some ways. Their arms and legs were practically entwined and she was right against every part of him. It felt good and secure and like home.

They were under a blanket as well and his hands were on her stomach, under her shirt making circles with his thumbs. He could not stop touching her and he didn't think that was going to change anytime soon.

As Juliet's eyes were glued to the screen, "Interview with the Vampire" was her favorite movie, Daryl pulled her closer to him still and whispered in her ear.

"Marry me." He breathed into her ear and she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up and a sweet chill dance along her spine. Every nerve in her body screamed out YES, but she didn't want to rush a thing. They had waited this long, a little more time wouldn't hurt them at all.

Daryl couldn't believe he just did that, so much for being clever. It was an excited utterance at the very least, but he didn't regret it.

She leaned back against him and sighed. "We've been together less than 24 hours." She laughed.

"Don't matter, I always planned to spend my life with you, Penny" He countered, holding her close to him and she smiled.

Her eyes grew soft as she looked at him. This was what her life would be like now, none of the pressure of having to live up to someone else's image of her. Never again would she feel inadequate like she felt most of the time with Gareth. No more pressure to move and leave her family.

Daryl loved her, he would make her smile with his little inside jokes, he would accept her just as she was, and love her purely. She would give him the same.

They talked quietly so they didn't disturb the kids watching TV. It was true what he said, it was never a question that they wouldn't be together, they just didn't know it would be this way.

"I never imagined life without you either." Juliet said, turning her head slightly to him. "Don't you think we should…"

"Get to know each other better?" He laughed and she smiled.

"Guess that's kind of silly, huh?"

He kissed the side of her face. "A little, but I understand it's all new, I get it."

Juliet sat back and snuggled into him. "Ask me again, after we've been doing this a while."

"Oh, I will." He hugged her tight. "Can't live without you."


	16. Chapter 16

**Whew, this is a long one for me, and it's not over yet. Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed xoxoxoxox Krissy**

Merle and Andrea arrived at eight am the next morning to a house full of kids all asleep on the living room floor. The thought went through his head that he would have never had that when he was a kid, or Daryl either. They never had friends over except Juliet and that always had to be when their father wasn't home. They didn't want friends to see the way they lived, Daryl only cared to hang around with her and Merle didn't really make friends that easily.

Then one day he cut his hand at work and needed stitches, Andrea was the Nurse who put them in at the local ER. Merle went back the next week on the same day, hoping the blue eyed blonde would still be working and she was.

Three months later, the old man had died and Merle and Andrea drove to Maryland and got married. They had been married for just a few years.

Merle and Andrea had totally rebuilt and re did the old house and now they lived there, making it a happy home for once. They were so very happy together and looking forward to a family of their own someday.

They had been trying for a while and hoped it would be sooner rather than later.

Quietly they walked into the living room and tiptoed over the sleeping kids.

There were at least ten of them, boys and girls, Bella included spread out on the floor and furniture with blankets and pillows. He broke into a wide grin at the life they all had now that the old man was gone. He had married Andrea the first chance he got and now Daryl lived with Juliet, even if he was letting time go by and not making his move.

Merle was after him weekly to step it up with Juliet before they were too old to have more babies. Daryl just blew him off every time. He admired what his brother was doing, helping Juliet after that guy ran out on her, but Merle knew he loved her. It had been a no brainer and Merle wasn't surprised at all that day he came home and told him he was moving in with her.

He would have expected nothing less from Daryl, it was Merle that taught him the things a father should have and he was proud of him. Taking on another man's child was a tall order, but Merle knew his brother was more than willing and happy to do it. He just needed to get out of his own way.

"Well, sugar." He said to Andrea. "Guess we know why no one was answering their phones."

"Where's Daryl and Juliet?" Andrea asked, surprised they weren't up already. Emily usually was up by eight or nine every day. There was no sound coming from upstairs, Emily was still asleep it seemed.

"Probably still sleeping." He said taking the stairs two at a time and going towards Daryl's bedroom door. He was trying to be quiet and not wake up Emily, although he knew she would get up soon anyway. There were too many people in the house for her to sleep that late. Once those kids got up, she would be awake in no time.

He opened the door and Andrea followed right behind him. There was no Daryl in the perfectly made bed and the room was empty. Daryl's stuff was there but he wasn't and Merle's eyes lit up as he turned back towards his wife.

"Where is he?" Andrea asked quietly and Merle turned towards Juliet's door across the hall. A big grin spread across his face and Andrea shook her head at him. "Merle, no…" he shouldn't just bust in, but Merle was already at the door and opening it.

Juliet was laying on her stomach and Daryl was draped across her in the bed. The sheet covered them, but it was still obvious they had no clothes on.

"Well, I'll be damned." Merle uttered to Andrea and she blushed deep red at the sight before her, and she covered her mouth in surprise.

"Merle." She started to grab for his arm but Merle banged on the door frame.

"Come on you two time to get up, no morning sex today, we got kids to feed."

Slowly they both moved and Daryl grabbed for the blanket to cover them up better with. Juliet stayed on her stomach but turned towards them and waved sleepily. Daryl sat up and scowled at Merle as only brothers did to each other.

"Come on brother, times a wasting here."

Andrea tugged at his arm. "Come on Merle, lets got get Emily."

"In a second sugar, this is too good to miss." He laughed as Daryl threw a pillow at him. "I called this ten years ago, good to see you both finally caught up."

Merle's eyes were merry and bright as he dodged pillows and moved towards he gave them both a signature Merle grin and a thumbs up and then he was gone.

"Good morning." Daryl said falling back on the pillows next to Juliet.

"Yes." She rolled over and kissed him. "Good morning."

333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333

Merle made eggs in the huge cast iron frying pan on the stove as kids wandered in and out of the kitchen for food. He knew a lot of them from being at the house for other events and they all chatted easily with him. Again he was struck by the fact that they never had this as kids, but were passing good things on to the next generation. The cycle of abuse ended with Daryl and Merle, even though they both had the scars still, they were healed.

He knew that part of the reason Daryl had been so hesitant with Juliet was because of their father. Physical scars could be healed, but emotional ones, not so easily.

Finally, everyone was on the right path though and days like this made Merle long for this for the two little boys he and Daryl once were.

There were no friends over, no breakfast no laughing when they were kids. Juliet knew if the old man's truck was there not to come to the door. It was a sad kind of life was for them, the only one they knew. Meeting Andrea had changed his life and in turn he tried to do right by Daryl.

Looking around the kitchen, he knew he had done alright.

Daryl was making toast and Juliet was making coffee. Bella had Emily on her lap at the table and Andrea was handing the baby pieces of toast to eat.

Merle leaned over to Daryl and in a quiet voice asked. "How long you and Jules been knocking boots?"

Daryl shook his head. He wasn't telling him a thing, for once. Merle was well aware that Daryl wasn't a virgin and sometimes in the past they went out looking for pussy together. But that was a long time ago.

"Oh, come on little brother, I aint asking details, just a question."

"For the bet ya'll had going." Daryl hissed quietly, but it was clear he wasn't angry.

"Spilled the beans did ya Bells?" Merle said turning towards her and Andrea.

Bella shrugged. "Like we all didn't see it coming…"

Merle laughed at that and so did Daryl, then Juliet was beside him with a cup of coffee and a kiss and then another.

"Get a room you two." Merle said with a merry lilt to his voice and Daryl glared at him.

"We had one but ya'll came busting in this morning." He said and he watched as Bella cringed.

"TMI, Daryl TMI." Bella said but she was laughing too.

Juliet changed the subject and went on to tell them all about Gareth's visit the day before and about the party the night before. One by one the kids all left, including Charlie and their immediate family was all that was left.

They sat around the table and made plans for dinner later in the week at Merle and Andrea's. The rest of the day Daryl, Juliet and Bella continued watching their horror movies and eating leftover pizza.

That night they moved his things into her room.


	17. Chapter 17

**A little update xxxKrissy**

There was a small bathroom off of Juliet's room because it was at one time the master bedroom of the house. Years ago her parents had built an addition with two more bedrooms downstairs and a huge bathroom. Juliet and Bella did live on the second floor when they were kids, but when Marcy and Tom moved Bella moved downstairs and soon Daryl was in her old room.

Now he was moved into Juliet's room and they were in the bathtub together after another long and tiring week. They both were working hard at their jobs and parenting Emily and to some extent Bella. Bella had pulled the "I'm 18" card on them, more than a few times. They didn't battle, they just came to agreements that all of them could live with.

On this night, Bella was out and Emily was asleep.

Juliet had lit candles in her room and the bathroom and they had soft music playing. She lay against one side of the tub and his back was against the other side of tub, so they could look at each other.

They spent a lot of time looking at each other.

Daryl had never done anything so intimate with someone before, his experience was limited to the act itself and then he usually got out fast. Juliet hadn't either, in fact her experience was even less that his, and he knew that. She was bold though, he was bringing her out of any shell she might have been in.

She ran her soapy foot over his leg and to his thigh seductively with a grin and he took her foot in his hands. He looked at her and raised his eye brows as he kissed her toes, and he didn't break eye contact with her. Juliet was the only woman he could ever look in the eye, he never wanted that before with other women and now he couldn't get enough.

He ran his tongue over her toes, never taking his eyes from her.

They both remembered the last time he did that. Juliet flushed at the memory of their first time and how he had gone down on her like it was his day job. Juliet would never again feel like someone was doing it to get something back, Daryl couldn't get enough.

Daryl grinned as he began to rub her foot she sunk down more into the water. When he touched her she practically purred and they were having a lot of fun getting to know one and other in a different way now.

"Come here often?" He asked, winking at her.

"Every chance I get." She answered and she climbed over his lap, kissing him once on the lips. His hands settled on her ass and he put his forehead to hers.

"Whatcha doin?" He asked as she brought her hands up his chest.

"What do you want me to do?" She said getting closer to him. "Should I kiss you, here." She leaned over and kissed his neck. "Here" She brought her lips over his neck towards his ear. She blew hot air into his ear and he shivered.

Daryl groaned and pulled her closer to him. "My God Juliet."

"Here." She brought her lips down his chest and looked downward, then back up at him. "Want to get out?"

He nodded his head vigorously and she giggled bringing her hands down over his hips, making him gasp out loud.

"Out woman." He said. "Now."

They made it back to the bedroom and laid down on the bed, undressed and both still damp from the bathtub. Juliet crawled over him and continued kissing down his chest as she had been in the bath. She wasn't looking but she could hear his breath catching and he threw his head back as he felt her lips on his skin.

She knew how to get him going and she never disappointed him, if he lived to be one hundred he would never have enough of her.

Maybe they had wasted some time, but they were making up for it now.

Her mouth was warm and wet as she licked and sucked over his chest and down towards his stomach. He sucked in his breath as she got closer and closer as the fire started building in his gut already.

"Oh, sweetheart." He groaned out. "Oh fuck me…"

His hands dug into her hair and he held her head as she kissed her way down his chest. Her lips were light on his skin and her hands touched him in a way that sent chills down his spine and all over his body. Her touch was hot like a hot iron against his body, it burned in such a wonderful way, and he wanted more and more.

Daryl's dick was already throbbing before her hands reached him and once they did he let out a loud groan. She looked up at him and licked her hand and his head fell back against the pillows. Her cool little hands grasped him and pulled gently, then she brought her face closer.

He watched her as she licked him from base to tip and swirled her tongue around and he was ready to explode already. She did that and alternated with both her hands until she finally took him into her mouth.

He wasn't going to last very long if she kept doing that and if he looked down at her it was going to be a done deal. He laid back and gripped the sheet on the bed almost pulling it off the bed as she ran her lips and tongue all over him.

His legs were tense as she took him in her mouth over and over again until he couldn't take anymore. Her mouth was so warm around him and he just wanted to let go.

"Come here." He said breathless and pulling her up to him and rolling them over so he was on top of her. "I need you right now." He growled as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He kissed her roughly, pushing his tongue into her mouth and over taking it.

"Alright Mr. Dixon, you can have me." She teased, moving her hips against him in a circle that made his body buck against her hard.

"Get ready sweetheart." He commanded as he held her hands up over her head and pushed against her, spreading her legs and then he was inside her.

"Oh my God Juliet." He breathed out all at once as he felt her body all around him, so wet and warm. He slowed down a bit, so it wasn't over before he could get her off. Because that was not happening. Daryl reached down between them and swirled his fingers around her clit, slow at first, then faster as their hips collided together.

"Oh, fuck." She said, closing her eyes and throwing her head back in pure bliss. He knew just how to touch her and part of her was grateful that he knew what he was doing. She didn't want to let the jealous side of her out by thinking too much about it.

She couldn't let her insecurities get the best of her now and she pushed it away from her mind.

Then she surprised him by rolling over so that she was on top of him. He looked up at her surprised, but kept his fingers moving and he could tell she was close already.

"You are a fucking demon." He said and she leaned down and kissed him hard and let his expert hands take her to heaven and back.

"I think you're the one who's a demon." She said rocking her hips against his hand and pushing herself down on his dick in a frenzy that was stealing all their breath. "Oh, fuck Daryl." She threw her head back and her hands landed on his thighs. "Fuck."

"I wanna watch." He gasped out, trying to hold back as long as possible, sliding his fingers against her as she rode his dick into oblivion. "Come for me Sweetheart." He purred. "Come all over my dick."

He knew he could send her over the edge with words and he did, and his fingers never stopped until she was exploding all around him. He felt the waves over his dick and then her body was pulling him over the edge too with a string of curses on his lips.

Juliet collapsed on top of him and he pulled her close to him. Their bodies sweaty and slippery against each other and he stroked her back.

"I love you Juliet, you're so beautiful when you cum."


	18. Chapter 18

Three months went by in the blink of an eye and they fell into an easy routine, Bella started classes at the community college and had a job now. Juliet worked part time and Michonne's salon and Daryl was at the garage. They ate dinner together every night, unless Juliet or Bella was working and it was like a real family.

Daryl had what he longed for all his life finally.

Maggie and Glenn were getting ready to be married and there was always something for them to be doing in their spare time. Dress fittings, flower orders, menus to help choose, it was a crazy time. But crazy in the best way possible.

They managed though and Daryl and Juliet were happy together, really happy. He made it clear he wanted to marry her and she was not against it.

So far they hadn't really decided anything since Maggie and Glenn were first up at the plate so to speak, but they were talking about it. Juliet was not afraid or anything like that, she knew him better than anyone else in this world and he knew her.

Her parents had set an example of what real love was about and she knew she had that now. How she had ever mistaken what she had with Gareth for love, she would never know. It hadn't been love. Love was what she had with Daryl, looking into his eyes and holding his hand.

They would marry eventually, when the time was right, after Maggie and Glenn had their special day.

Life was just good.

The phone rang in the house one day, when Daryl was home alone with Emily. That was weird, because no one used a house phone anymore and when Daryl looked at the ancient caller ID it looked like a cellphone number. He needed to pick up the phone and say a quick hello before the phone woke Emily who was sleeping in the pack and play in the next room.

He would have let it go to voice mail if the baby was awake, and the day would come that he would wish he did just that.

That one phone call set in motion something that he never saw coming and was powerless to stop. If he could have gone back in time and changed it all he would have.

Juliet hadn't returned from work yet, but she would be soon. She only worked half a day on Saturday and Daryl was off.

His schedule was flexible anyway, Merle gave him a lot of leeway so that he could help Juliet with child care. Between the two of them and Bella, they were able to be sure Emily was with one of them at all times. In the rare instances that all three of them had to work, Andrea or Maggie helped out.

Andrea wanted children so badly and she was so good with Emily, taking her to the local park and out for walks. She and Merle spoiled their niece and loved every minute of it.

They would be wonderful parents one day.

The phone rang louder than he remembered, whenever the last time it rang was.

Daryl ran down the hall in record speed to get to the phone not knowing he was running towards a disaster.

He did not want the baby to wake up so he grabbed the phone up quick on the second ring.

"Hello?"

A woman's voice answered. "Who's this?"

"Who's this?" Daryl answered, annoyed at the woman's snotty attitude and nerve to ask who he was. Didn't she know how to say 'Hello' first.

Tom and Marcy's friends that occasionally called were nicer than this, and he was not impressed at all. Clearly she wasn't one of their friends, she sounded young and she had a shitty attitude.

The woman took a deep breath as if she couldn't be bothered by this nonsense and spoke quickly into the phone.

"I'm looking for Juliet." The woman said curtly and he knew he had heard that voice before, the high squeak of it, like nails on a chalkboard. A voice coming back from their past to fuck up his life just when he had everything he always wanted.

 _Fuuuuuuuuccccckkkkkk_

"She aint here." He answered, hoping she would just hang up, but no, not her.

"Daryl?" She asked with a sweeter lilt to her voice now. "Daryl Dixon?"

 _Fuck, fuck, fuck. FUCK._

"You don't recognize my voice do you?"

"No." But he did.

"It's Sylvia, long time no see Daryl." She said and he could just tell she hadn't changed a bit. "How come you're answering her phone?"

"I live here." He said absentmindedly, and again pissed off at her nerve, before he realized that he'd done. _Oh God this was going to be so bad._ And as if on cue Emily started crying in the other room. He just couldn't get a break.

"Is that a baby?" She asked. "Are you two…?"

"Look Sylvia, I gotta go. Call her back later on."

And he hung up the phone. He stared down at it with a disgusted look on his face, knowing this was going to be a cluster fuck of epic proportions. Sylvia would call back. He had no doubt about it. And she would tell Juliet and life as he knew it would be over.

He leaned down and picked up Emily and as he kissed her forehead he sighed. It was too good to be true, and he should have never let himself believe that he could have this. He loved them both so much it hurt to think of being apart from them for even a day.

Surely Juliet would leave him now.

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Later that night Daryl sat out on the front porch smoking cigarette after cigarette as Juliet talked inside on the phone with Sylvia. Bella came out side and sat down next to him. The sun was going down and he had the feeling this was going to be the last happy day of his life. Bella noticed his grim look and turned to him.

"What's the matter with you?" She asked.

"Nothing." He answered but Bella saw right through him.

"Alright, but I think you're fibbing." She said.

He shook his head looking down and smiled, Bella was just like her sister. Heaven help him when Emily grew up, if he was still around for that which he was unsure of at the moment. He wanted to be and he wanted marriage and babies with Juliet, but as he drew on the cigarette in his hand and inhaled the smoke deeply, he admitted to himself he was afraid.

He was afraid he was going to leave him now. Because of a sin of omission, and a secret he had long forgotten about.

"I always hated Sylvia, she's such a twat." Bella said as if she was asking about the weather, and that was Bella, blunt and to the point.

"Hope she isn't back in town." Daryl said blowing smoke out of the side of his mouth.

"That makes two of us, that girl is like a case of the clap." Bella snickered. "She never wanted me around when she was over to see Julie, I hated her."

"She was just a user, plain and simple." Daryl replied.

"I don't want her near Emily." Bella said.

The door opened after a while and Juliet stepped outside. Daryl looked up at her trying to read her. She didn't look angry and she didn't have a suitcase for him. Could he have caught a break on this, for once in his life?

"She was passing through on her way to New York but she's gone now." She said. "Next time she'll call sooner, it was just a spur of the moment thing this time."

Daryl's eyes rolled back in his head in relief as Juliet sat down next to him and rubbed his back. She had no idea how much he needed it. Her touch was healing to him on a good day and this was definitely a bad day for him.

He had been so sure he was going to get his walking papers.

"You never liked her." Juliet said wistfully.

"No." He said kissing her quickly. "I didn't."

"Why?"

"Just didn't."

"She liked you though…" She said looking up at the stars. "Well, she drives from Florida to New York and back few times a year so I just told her to call me the day before next time."

Daryl sighed in relief, but he also knew he had to tell her the truth before Sylvia blew through Georgia again.


	19. Chapter 19

Maggie and Glenn were married on a bright spring day and went on a honeymoon cruise to the Bahama's. They sent snapchat pictures every day and had every one talked into a group cruise the next year.

There was nothing like traveling by cruise ship and before they even stepped off the ship they were booking another trip for themselves and their friends.

Two weeks after Glenn and Maggie's wedding Andrea and Merle announced that Andrea was expecting, not one but two babies. They had known a few months that she was pregnant, but waited to say anything, enjoying the news with just each other for a while. What was going to be a baby announcement became two baby announcements.

They were over the moon and couldn't wait to be parents.

Soon baby Emily would be a year old.

Gareth had signed away his rights to Emily and Daryl was after Juliet to let him change both their names. He asked her two more times and she agreed that yes they would get married but no date was set yet.

Juliet was happy, happier than she had ever been and she and Daryl had made the transition from friends to lovers with little effort. It had been written in the stars for them long ago.

Still, sometimes lately she let her mind go places it never went before and she didn't understand why. She knew all about his history and she also knew she was the only one for him now. Before, the only concern she ever had about his past love life was that he didn't get hurt, or a disease and he never had.

Still, she wondered.

She became worried that he kept secrets, not from her now, but before. It wasn't even her business, really then. But he knew all about the three guys she slept with, and he knew her past.

Juliet felt like she didn't know him completely, and it ate at her.

She didn't even know what she was worried about. It was just something. Daryl had been on edge for a week or so and she wondered if he was having second thoughts.

There was only one way to find out.

Juliet knew before she even asked the question that she would regret it. She had known him almost all her life and she knew the answers to all the other questions. The important questions like Did he love her? Did he love Emily? Would he take care of them?

The answer to all of those questions was yes. That was what mattered and it should have been enough for her. The other things she was thinking about just didn't matter.

How many girls he had been with, and were they better than her. Did he regret settling down with her? Did he want a ready-made family, really want it?

It was funny how at one time she didn't care about those things, and knew his heart and now it was causing her enormous grief.

She knew she would be sorry for starting this conversation but she did it anyway. If he wanted to marry her, she felt like they had to clear the air on certain things. How many, did he cheat, who? Was she enough for him now?

Daryl loved her and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, as far as he was concerned, nothing else mattered. She knew that deep down inside.

No matter how sure she was of him though Juliet was still a woman, with a woman's feelings and thought process. No matter how sure you were of things, of a person, sometimes your mind was a bad place to be.

It was the past, and she knew that but there was a little voice in her head that told her that her lack of experience would not satisfy him for long.

It settled down in the back of her mind and took up residence, whispering to her.

Every time they were together and every night as they slept next to each other it was there, picking at her until she just had to start asking questions. They were always honest with each other about everything. He would tell her the truth, she knew that, but did she want to know it.

A part of her did.

So she asked her questions and he answered them. No, he never cheated, yes he had a few one night stands, was there anyone that she didn't know about. Yes, he answered and she felt her stomach drop to her feet.

His stomach dropped too, this was the conversation he had been dreading for weeks. He should have brought it up sooner, now it looked like he purposefully hid it from her, which wasn't true. The reality was, he had forgotten all about it all these years.

It had meant so little to him.

"Well, you know the ones from high school, most of them."

"Is there anyone I don't know about?"

He nodded. "Come on let's go outside."

He led her outside and she made a joke about him needing a cigarette to have this talk and he just nodded as he lit his smoke.

"There's one you don't know about and you're gonna be mad."

"I doubt that." She said, but his face showed concern and it was scaring her.

"Sylvia."

"You slept with Sylvia?" She said dumbfounded. Yeah, she was mad.

"Once." He said and she cocked her head at him in disbelief. "Ok, twice."

"She was my best friend!" Juliet yelled and then realized what she said, he had always been her best friend and her words burned him. She quickly clarified that. "My best friend that was a girl, I mean."

"So?" He said and immediately knew that wasn't the answer she wanted, her would never lie to her, but he was sorry he told her. He wanted her to know it didn't mean a thing and he was failing miserably.

Daryl hadn't thought about Sylvia in years, until the phone call of course. She was a blip on his radar so long ago. She, like all the others meant nothing to him. Juliet was the one who mattered, even when he was with other people. She knew that and yet here they were having this awful conversation.

He had lost more than one girlfriend because of putting Juliet first, and now she was furious with him.

He knew they had to get this over with and in the past though, he hoped for forgiveness.

Sylvia wasn't anywhere near a girlfriend, she was just a girl who had chased after him and really she was no friend to Juliet. He knew the only reason she even came looking for him was because she was jealous that Juliet had him in her life.

"It was just sex; it didn't have anything to do with you." He said and the look on her face told him _that_ was also the wrong thing to say. "And besides, she didn't tell you either."

Because Sylvia was a sneaky bitch, he remembered that about her. He hadn't liked her from the jump. She started hanging around with Juliet freshman year in high school and making eyes at Daryl when Juliet wasn't looking. There was no way she would have told Juliet about it, because then she would have had to admit to using her.

"It didn't mean anything…" He said and he could tell that she was saddened that he had so much meaningless sex.

He never wanted to make her sad. Sylvia had wanted him because he paid attention to Juliet, because he carried her books and brought her licorice everyday.

"Is there anyone you didn't sleep with?" Juliet asked in exasperation after he finished explaining. Now she knew it all and part of her regretted it now.

"Come on its not that bad." Daryl said. "And it aint like I ever hid anything from you."

"But Sylvia?" Juliet said. "I didn't know about her."

"She came to my house one-day junior year, when you were working at the Dairy Queen after school, before we got jobs at the diner."

"But you never told me, we fished and did all kinds of stuff together all the time back then." She just couldn't believe that he could fuck someone she interacted with every day and not tell her.

"How was I going to tell you that?" He wished the hell this conversation never happened.

"But she was my friend."

Daryl shrugged, he didn't want to tell her that Sylvia was using her to get to him. It was so long ago it didn't even matter anymore. "That was a long time ago, she don't even live around here anymore."

Juliet just looked at him.

"Can we drop it now?" He asked.

She didn't answer him and he knew that was bad news. She was really mad at him and he didn't understand it. Sylvia meant nothing, and she meant everything, couldn't she see that?

"Hey, this is our first fight." He said trying to lighten the mood.

"Don't be ridiculous." She snapped. "We have definitely fought before."

"Not since…" He motioned his eyes towards the stairs, inside just past the screen door.

"Oh for crying out loud…" This wasn't about them. It was about sex, but not between them. "And you want me to marry you? When there's so much I don't know about you?"

"You know everything." He said too loudly and immediately regretted it.

Juliet paced in front of him. "I feel like I don't."

"Come on, no one knows me better than you." He countered, lighting another cigarette.

Juliet just huffed, he was right of course.

"I know." He said lighting a cigarette and blowing the smoke out of the side of his mouth. "You can't go buy a pack of smokes without running into nine girls that I fucked." He said laughing, thinking that a quote from her favorite movie, 'Boondock Saints' would make her laugh. It had always worked before, but they hadn't been a couple then.

It didn't.

"Not funny." She said pulling open the screen door and stomping up the stairs. Then she turned back to him and said through the door. "Sleep in your room tonight."

 **Sorry to end it here, but as usual I'm way too wordy. So I had to split it up, forgive me please xoxoxoxKrissy**


	20. Chapter 20

**Ok, I decided to post the next chapter today because there's a hurricane coming to the Jersey shore and I may loose internet. I didn't want to leave this hanging. Hope you all enjoy.**

Juliet woke up in the middle of the night and reached for him and then remembered she kicked him out of their bedroom last night. As she laid back down on the pillows in exasperation she couldn't believe she had kicked him out of their bed.

Over Sylvia, who she had just told on the phone two weeks ago that she and Daryl were getting married one day. Sylvia had reacted strangely, she realized, now that she knew the truth. She had simply said, 'We all knew that was coming' but not in a way that said 'I'm happy for you.'

Juliet had ignored it at the time, but now she got it.

Juliet had invited her to stay over the next time she was in town for god's sake and she had agreed. Was she planning to try and sneak around behind her back again? The answer was probably yes.

Juliet realized she had kicked him out over something that happened years ago, she hadn't spoken to Sylvia since before she met Gareth, why on earth did she even care at this point?

The bottom line was she missed him and their bed was big and lonely. Their bed.

It was funny how easily they had transitioned into that and it was not funny how much she missed him. He had only been sharing a bed with her for a few weeks and already she felt his absence viscerally.

The fight had been stupid, and she had over reacted, big time. It was one thing to love someone passionately, and have a passionate relationship, which she felt they had. It was quite another to treat them badly over your own issues.

He didn't do anything wrong then or now and as she rolled over and looked out the window at the night she knew she couldn't let this go on. She was in complete misery.

In the past if she had fought with a boyfriend she would dig her heels in not give in. She never missed them, her anger would always be paramount, but not this time and this was so foreign to her.

She actually saw his point of view as she laid there in the dark and she knew that she didn't want to sleep away from him ever again.

Juliet was up and out of the bad before she could think and unlocking the door. Had she really locked him out? She really did, over Sylvia, she glanced back into her room and saw something that confirmed her thoughts as she laid there alone before.

 _She couldn't wait to tell him._

She opened the door to his old room and he was asleep. His hair was messy against the pillow and he looked like he had tossed and turned all night. He'd had a bad night too just like she had. It was still dark and she walked softly towards the bed, looking at him. She loved him so much it made her heart hurt at the way she had been the night before.

Juliet stood there for a beat watching him and then she moved the blankets and got into the bed with him.

Daryl had heard her coming and kept one eye open, not knowing if she was coming in to make up or stab him. He was hoping for make-up sex but you never knew. Juliet was known to hold a grudge.

She wrapped herself around him and he rolled over to take her into his arms.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She said and to her utter shock she was almost crying, and this wasn't her. Tears never fell over a man before, over a fight. Not even when Gareth left and here she was losing it over a fight, although it was a bad one for sure.

"Shhhh." He kissed the side of her head. "I'm sorry too, sweetheart, I'm so sorry. But we're going to be ok." He ran his hands through her hair and breathed her in. "We're ok."

He pulled her close to him and she allowed herself to melt into him. She would never be far from his arms again, he was her safe place, her anchor.

"We're ok." She repeated to him.

"I love you so much." He said quietly and she nodded and kissed him softly. "I don't want to fight sweetheart."

"Daryl, I need to tell you something…" She started to say and turned so they were facing each other.

"Tell me anything, anything you want, just promise we won't ever sleep apart again." He said with the softest eyes she had ever seen. She would never say no to him about anything and they would always be together.

"I promise." She answered and then looked into his eyes, she brushed his hair out of his eyes and smiled slightly. "I totally lost my mind over nothing, I know that we don't have any diseases and that you are with me for the long haul. I know that."

"Hope you do, cause I am." He answered. "I'm with you forever, like it always has been."

"I know, and I don't care about the past, just our future."

"Good." He pulled her close to him. "Me too."

"So." Juliet started to say. "Last night after we went to sleep, I couldn't sleep."

"Me either." He said.

"And I started thinking about why I was so worried about it, and I couldn't figure out why I was so emotional."

Daryl was lost, he just hoped they were going to make up and forget about it. "It's ok sweetheart…"

"So I looked at the calendar, because I…"

Oh, Daryl got it now, she was getting her period. He should have known, he was observant enough to know when to stay out of her way and bring home chocolate. He was off his game in seemed. But it made sense to him now, sometimes they bickered the week before she got it.

He understood, and stayed out of her way that week. He didn't mean to be misogynist about it, but he did live with two women and facts were facts

"I've only been this emotional when..." She looked into his eyes and decided to just blurt it out. "Daryl, I think I'm pregnant."

It took him a minute to process the information before him, the words just swirled around in his head as he tried to catch them and make sense of what she had just said. "But you're on the pill." Was all he could muster up.

"Sometimes it happens anyway." Juliet said. "I'm never late except one other time, I'm pretty sure."

He couldn't contain himself then. "Oh my god sweetheart." He almost yelled and then he pulled her close to him. "Oh my God, that's wonderful, I love you so much."

He rolled her over so she was on top of him and she sat up, making sure to grind herself against him. He brought his hands up to her hips and stared at her stomach, his baby was in there. Tiny, and floating around in primordial fluid, but there.

He brought his hand over her stomach gently as she watched him. He was so sweet and she loved him so much.

"You have to marry me now Juliet." He said and she smiled down at him. "You have to make an honest man out of me."

"Do I?" She said smiling.

"Please." He said pulling himself up to kiss her. She leaned down to meet his lips and he pulled her close. "I'll just keep asking until you set a date." He grinned.

"Yes." She said.

"Yes?" He asked.

She nodded grinning at him and he rolled her back over so that he was on top of her. He rained kisses all over her face and neck unable to hold back his happiness.

"Soon?" He asked and she answered. "Whenever you want."

Daryl thought he was happy living with her all of this time, but it didn't compare to the way his heart was filling up with joy now. As he pulled Juliet closer to him he remembered that day when she sat down next to him in second grade and gave him a cookie.

He'd had no idea at the time that she would change his life the way she did. But she had changed his life in the most incredible way. And now they were having a baby.

They were getting married.

The sooner the better.


	21. Chapter 21

_**This is the last chapter of this story. It's pretty long for me. I would do a sequel if enough people want me to. I did it with two other stories. "Transference" and "Sometimes Love Isn't Enough." SO let me know. :) xoxoxoxox Krissy**_

The day they got married was warm and beautiful and perfect, the bride wore a light pink dress, tea length and the groom wore a grey suit and tie. They both lost the fancy clothes right after and changed into jeans as soon as it was over.

It was a simple ceremony at city hall, with friends and family and later they all would go back to the house for a small party.

Juliet's parents were there from Florida, and beaming at the not so surprising turn of events. This was the boy they had loved since he was ten years old. The sweet child that thanked them twenty times for every nice thing they ever did for him. The boy who never had a birthday cake until he met them.

He was the man they wanted for their daughter.

Marcy made the coffee mocha cake and they put a bride and groom on top. They decorated the house and had tables set up out on the deck. It was going to be a simple thing, but perfect for them.

Bella wore a matching pink dress to Juliet's and Emily was all in pink too. She was quiet during the ceremony, as if she knew it was a special occasion. Juliet and Daryl both waved to Emily as she sat with Andrea during the ceremony and she waved back with her little hands.

Daryl would adopt her the next week, all the papers were ready and then her last name would be Dixon too.

With Merle and Bella beside them they pledged themselves to each other forever, and it was a long time coming for everyone. It would be forever; they were both completely sure of it. It just took them a little while to get there.

This would be the first and last marriage for both of them and as they stood there Daryl whispered to Juliet. "Are you sure you don't want to get to know me better?" and she grinned a wide and sweet grin at him.

"I think I know you just fine." She replied.

There would be no more fights over jealousy, they sat up that morning after their fight and talked over all of that. There would be more fights they were sure, but they agreed to never let them get past a certain point and they pledged never to sleep alone.

With a lot of help they had planned and executed this wedding in two weeks, not for any hurry because everyone knew she was pregnant. Once it was confirmed they called everyone they knew anyway, bursting with the news.

She and Andrea would be pregnant together, at least for a while until Andrea delivered the twins who were sure to come early, as most multiples did. They were boys, and Dixon boys were an entity unto their own. Andrea would be a busy lady for more than a few years with them.

Daryl and Juliet's baby was due in April, conceived it seemed somewhere during the first week they slept together.

Daryl took her hand after he made his joke and they turned to the Mayor of the town who was officiating.

"You two ready." He asked and the both answered yes readily.

In the end they just couldn't wait once they decided and it was such a long time coming that they didn't see any reason to delay it.

Their wedding vows came from 'Corpse Bride' a movie they had watched over and over as kids in the very living room they would be having their party in later that day.

They had seen every Tim Burton movie made when they were younger and loved them all. As children Daryl had teased her on more than one occasion about these very words they were about to say to each other. So many words between them through the years floated around them as they stood together.

 _I can't wait to fall in love._

 _I hope I never fall in love._

 _Someday little brother kissing her is all you'll be able to think about._

The vows were perfect though, for them and he'd agreed readily to her request, and he had been half expecting it anyway.

 _They would lay on the floor watching the movie and Juliet would say those were going to be her wedding vows someday. Daryl would laugh and tease her never knowing that one day it would be him saying those words to her._

"With this hand I will lift your sorrows.

Your cup will never be empty for I will be your wine

With this candle I will light your way in the darkness

With this ring I will ask you to be mine."

Then he slipped the ring on her finger and she repeated the same words back to him, slipping a matching ring on his finger.

The End

 _ **Thoughts?**_


End file.
